Lancashire

Another from my local walking area. We have been passing this spot every two weeks now since March, as this is part of our isolation walk. During this time, we have watched the colours of the trees and grass change with the seasons. Just beyond the fence is a small pond with a river running through it. A local heron is often seen here. HFF. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Another view of this artificial lake high in the Mallorcan mountains. As can be seen here the water level is quite low after another very hot Summer.

Piethorn Reservoir: A first look at this reservoir for us on this new walk only a few miles from home. This is one of six reservoirs all near to each other above the village of Newhey, Rochdale. This 180° view is made from a stitch of 4x 6000x4000 landscape photos before reduction for Ipernity upload. I was just about to upload this before Ipernity collapsed last year. **A Big thank you to all involved in fixing the technical problems here. - What would we do without you!** Wishing you all a very happy photographic future back here in Ipernity. Keep safe.

Another in my local exercise walks from home series. This one taken from a spot called Strinesdale and looks up towards the hamlet of Scouthead. Always a pretty walk but today it looks even nicer in the light snow and warmish leaden skies. These are pastoral fields that normally house cattle and horses in the stone walled enclosures Notice too, the sheep in the foreground. Enjoy full screen.

Just ten minutes’ walk from my door is a small valley that sometimes shines in its beauty. This is that time, when frost and light makes us forget the old industrial wasteland that once this was. The river used to run with glowing neon colours of every description as it ran alongside many old cotton mills and industrial tips. One would never ever want to dip any part of unprotected skin into it. I used to walk along here with my old school mates whilst watching the many rats that ran in abundance here in the days when there were no trees in this place. Fortunately, that has all changed for the better and all I see nowadays is the odd dog-walker and keen landscape photographer. I even see the odd small fish. Enjoy full screen.

A walk above 'Higher Swineshaw reservoir' in Tameside. Another winter isolation walk for us, just a few minutes drive from our home. Enjoy full screen.

Long, long ago, - as the carol goes, but this shows a nicer side of those cold days with this lovely warm sunset. Taken just 15 minutes from my home after several days of very cold freezing weather. A nice layer of new snow and light competes for attention with the tree and wall. Enjoy full screen.

After a night of local heavy snow we get some sun and it’s time to play. A scene here which reminds us of the best of our winters, mixed with poignancy in these days of pandemic; however the sentiment and fun lives on as can be seen by this winking snowman. Have a great weekend.

Its winter again and here we see an appropriate view of one of the reservoirs of the Dovestones chain in Saddleworth taken some years back. Ahead we can just see the dam wall of the next reservoir, Greenfield reservoir. The main path here runs along the left side of the water. In normal times this is a quite place but at the moment more people than ever try to get here to enjoy the limited exercise allowed. Enjoy full screen.

A lone tree that I have known most of my life. It still sits forlornly in my local valley not far from where I was brought up as a boy. I have seen this valley bottom transformed from a wild wilderness, to a mini golf course and then into a lovely natural park-way which is now part of the ‘Oldham Way’ long distance walk (for us anyway :)) enjoyed by many local walkers and dog walkers alike. The tree however is now a shadow of even the one you see here on which birds used to sing. Just a dead stump about half the size of this younger self. Enjoy full screen

We think it was cold this year, but a few years back it was even colder up here in Saddleworth. Here we are back again at the second reservoir in the Dovestones chain, called Yeoman Hey. I will let the sun, snow, ice, shadows and mist talk for themselves. Enjoy full screen.

A beautiful winter look at my very local linear park. This used to be the railway track route from Oldham to Delph, many years back known as the Delph Donkey line. Opened in 1849 by the LNWR (London & North Western railway) connecting my local town of Oldham to the main Huddersfield to Manchester line. A mixture of steam engines ran on here including the famous Fowler 7F’s and Austerity 2-8-0’s. It was closed in 1963 and turned into a cycle & walkway in 1964. As you can see, it can be a real beauty. Enjoy full screen.

Mother and daughter take a nights rest in our garden between grounds. ~ We have been seeing these together and separately for some time now, since the one on the left was a mere pup, but we can never forecast when we will see them next. In reality they could be sisters but the sleeping one is definitely older and more infirm whilst the younger standing fox is also very submissive to the other. We have not seen them again since taking this. Maybe because their favourite route here, along our railway walk, has just recently had a major renovation, with much of its surrounding undergrowth and trees tidied up by teams of workmen. See PiP of perhaps the same pair in our garden, taken last June. The second PiP possibly shows mum at their den. Nice full screen

Another walk along the trans-Pennine Rochdael Canal gives me a view of this flight of locks. As our lockdown is relaxed there are more people walking these paths now, especially in the unusual dry warm weather. This taken between Littleborough and Summit. See Pip for another set of locks near here. Enjoy full screen. ~ The Rochdale Canal runs for 33 miles between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, UK. In Sowerby Bridge it connects with the Calder and Hebble Navigation. In Manchester it connects with the Ashton and Bridgewater Canals. The canal was opened in 1799 between Sowerby Bridge and Todmorden and from Manchester to Rochdale. A proposed 1.6 mile tunnel between Walsden and Sladen was replaced by more locks and a higher summit level at 600 feet. The resulting shorter summit level meant that many reservoirs were required to prevent the summit level drying up and to maintain an available supply of water for the 92 locks. The canal opened through to Manchester in 1804. This made it the first trans-Pennine canal route, as the Huddersfield Narrow canal, experiencing much difficulty in the Standedge Tunnel construction, did not open until 1811. The Leeds and Liverpool, with a much longer route, was not fully opened until 1816. The canal was re-opened to navigation along its entire length in July 2002 and forms part of the South Pennine Ring.

Along the banks of the Rochdale canal are a few fields. These are surrounded by fences and we see some splendid examples here. The banks of the canal with its adjoining fields are also full of Canadian Geese which at this time of year are almost all paired up in readiness for breeding. As can be seen, frost is still with us at the moment. Enjoy full size and have a great week.

A week’s break in north Lancashire allows me to visit some places that we have not been to for some years now. This is the seaside area known as Silverdale and one might imagine how that name was derived. We have just finished our picnic here and are looking down Morcambe Bay over the treacherous Walton Sands which houses the Kent Channel. The tall buildings in the distance is the Heysham Nuclear Power station. Our path continues between the narrow walled path on the left into the headland trees and beyond. Enjoy full screen and have a good week.

A visit to this wonderful small town brings us down to the banks of the River Lune. Here we see not only the old bridge, which now only takes walkers, but also the rather attractive road bridge set in the background. This is in the county of Cumbria and also said to be the Lower lake District. See PiPs “Spanning the River Lune to the south and east of Kirkby Lonsdale is Devil’s Bridge. This magnificent three-arched bridge, probably dates from the 12th or 13th century. ~ The bridge was later ascribed to the Devil. The story grew that the Devil appeared to an old woman and promised to build a bridge in exchange for the first soul to cross it. The woman agreed, so the Devil built the bridge. The clever old woman then threw a loaf of bread over the bridge and her dog chased it.” More info: www.kirkbylonsdale.co.uk/discover/13341-devils-bridge Enjoy full screen.

Seen on one of our walks in North Lancashire. A farmer’s field and a small pond that is an oasis for the cattle and sheep in this field. For us here – just a fence to make us happy Have a great weekend.