Showing posts with label historic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historic. Show all posts

Friday 16 October 2009

Holy Island & Lindisfarne

The day was Saturday September 12th 2009. My original plan was to head north up the A1 and grab some panoramic landscape shots of Alnwick Castle. It was 11.00am and after realizing that the sun had risen around 5.30am, I had a feeling that by the time I arrived at the castle the sun would have been shining on the wrong side of its walls. Well, I got there to find exactly that. My intended vantage point for photography was now out of the question as the walls were in shade and from where I was standing...well, not much point in flogging a deed horse! So, that was that - it was now time for Plan B.

Plan B was a hastily arranged trip to Holy Island & Lindisfarne, which was a few miles further north. I say 'Hastily' as it was decided in a matter of seconds without any prior knowledge of the day's tide tables. Anyone who knows Holy Island will be well aware that the causeway is flooded at high tide, preventing motorists from making the crossing. I got lucky.

I arrived at the causeway at approximately 11.30am. It was safe to cross and I had until 7.15pm before leaving the island at high tide. So, plenty time to kill and the weather was perfect, a lovely warm day with no breeze and barely a cloud in the sky. After parking on the Island I made my way down to The Heughs, a rugged peice of terrain behind Lindisfarne Priory. It is here that visitors can enjoy great panoramic views of the island, including the Priory ruins as well as the Castle, Marina and even Bamburgh Castle in the distance. A couple of sailing boats were anchored just off the heughs. On one boat was a man playing the violin. You could hear a pin drop on this calm beautiful day as the vioilinist played 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow.'

I took a few shots of the priory ruins before taking a short break on the sand banks nearby. I was planning to photograph the Marina after taking in the tranquil setting for a few minutes. The Marina area is quite photogenic, with old upturned cobles here and there, plus a scattering of lobster pots and anchors.

Before heading off for a spot of lunch at Seahouses, in the shape of Haggis n' Chips, I took a few shots within the grounds of St Ann's Church, including a lovely panorama of Lindisfarne Priory which can be viewed at ashleycorr.com.

Job done! A great day...these Plan B's come in handy from time to time...
Ash