Seven Sisters - Daily Visits

Hello again. Regular visitors to my Blog page will be aware that during the Winter months I make regular visits to the Copt Hill Barrow, also known locally as the Seven Sisters, situated in Houghton le Spring. A quick 'search' of my Blog will throw up previous entries where I have visited the monument to photograph it during different seasons. I rarely bother photographing it in Summer as the leaves are thick and the silhouette against a bright sunset is nowhere near as effective as it is during Winter when the leaves are long gone. A week of great Sunrise and Sunset photography yielded my latest batch of silhouette shots and I can't remember a week like it, as it was one brilliant sky after another. In the meantime, here is a brief description, copied and pasted from another web page...

Monument: Seven Sisters round barrow, Copt Hill, Houghton le Spring

Parish: Sunderland

County: Tyne and Wear

National Monument number: 32055

National grid reference (s): NZ35344921

The monument includes the round barrow known as Seven Sisters. It is situated in arable land on the western flank of Copt Hill and is 300m south of Copt Hill public house. The barrow mound is 3m high and approximately 25m in diameter. It is of earth and stone construction. The stones include magnesian limestone and sandstone. To the west and north west of the mound there are visible remains of a surrounding bank. An aerial photograph of the monument indicates a further boundary to the west and north of the mound about 25m from the edge of the mound, and a rectilinear cropmark to the east believed to be the terminal of a cursus. Excavation of the barrow in 1877 by Canon William Greenwell and Mr T Robinson revealed that the primary burial was a Neolithic cremation believed to be an example of an axial mortuary structure. There were also several Bronze Age cremations and inhumations, and an early medieval inhumation.

Between Monday 9th and Thursday 12th January I visited the Seven Sisters each day, twice at sunrise and twice at sunset. Winter, especially January, has historically presented the most colourful skies at each end of the day, so if you like to shoot silhouettes then this is one of the best locations in the North-East of England for this type of photography. I'm lucky, I only live round the corner, so within ten minutes of leaving the house I'm 'Set up' and ready to work. During the golden hour - 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset, I captured many images, all recorded in RAW format at 18 Megapixels on a Canon 7D. I used a bog standard 18-135mm lens and a 10-22mm wide for the images shown here. Each lens gives different results in their own right, although the wide angle glass gets you right up close, almost on the barrow itself, and you can still fit it all in! The close angle offers a sense of drama as the trees tower over the lens, and if the right sky is available, you get drama on a big scale, which is exactly what I was after. Two of my shots show 'One Man And His Dog', which has almost become an obligitory fixture for me when I photograph the Seven Sisters. Scale is quite important here - I always try to include people whenever they present themselves and this place is a favourite haunt for Man and his Best Friend, so you're never short of the odd 'Extra' or two entering the frame. Some folk walk round the barrow when they see me, thinking they might be spoiling my shot by walking over the top, which is never the case, as a walking man and dog offer a nice profile in silhouette (as shown here, shot 3). And there's no escape, as this fella walked round the barrow and I still caught him and his dog. It worked quite well. Just for the record, the first and last of my four shots were taken at Sunset and the middle two at Sunrise. Whether it's 8.30am or 4.00pm it makes little difference, as I was freezing to the bone, despite wearing two fleeces and a jacket as well as the black wooly 'Bin Man' hat. I switch off to the cold - little choice, but looking back I'm glad I did. It wasn't long before I was back in my house and sat down with a cup of coffee while the wife massaged my feet. Well, maybe I made the last bit up, he he, she wouldn't go near my feet with a knotty prop!

And now to the last shot. And it's colour all the way - once again. I love this one. I showed a friend this shot and he thought it had been captured in Africa, of all places. Houghton le Spring is a far cry from the African continent, although you often see the odd 'Elephant' walking in and out of the Silver Grid (Local Chippy). And before I forget, some of you may have noticed the obvious discrepancy - there isn't actually Seven Sisters, but Six, after one was burned down a few years ago by some brain-dead 'Chav' who obviously had nowt else better to do than torch the Monument. Tosser! Ah well, he's cursed now - history and myth of the real Seven Sisters (Witches) will catch up with him sooner or later - card well and truly MARKED. Ah well, it is on that note that I shall wind up my latst Blog entry and finish off by telling you that another scribble or two will follow shortly. As mentioned earlier this week, I planned a visit to Bamburgh Castle on the Northumberland Coast, which is where I eventually ended up yesterday after planning and later postponing my previous attempts to photograph on location.So stay tuned for more low-light Sunrise photography, this time on the sand with the imposing Bamburgh Castle silhoutted against yet another dramatic sky as the sun rose. For a sneak preview check out my Historic Northumberland gallery over at ashleycorr.com (Images 24-27).

Full write-up coming soon.

Ash

Lumley Castle, Chester le Street

Lumley Castle is a 14th century quadrangular castle at Chester-le-Street in the North of England, near to the city of Durham and a property of the Earl of Scarbrough. It is a Grade 1 listed building.

History
It is named for its original creator, Sir Ralph Lumley, who converted his family manor house into a castle in 1389 after returning from wars in Scotland. However, after being implicated in a plot to overthrow Henry IV he was imprisoned and ultimately executed, forfeiting his lands to the Earl of Somerset. In 1421 the ownership of the Castle reverted to Sir Ralph Lumley's grandson, Thomas. By the nineteenth century, the castle had become the residence of the Bishop of Durham, after Bishop Van Mildert gave his residence of Durham Castle to the newly founded University of Durham. The castle thus became a hall of residence for University College, Durham. Castlemen, as the students of University College, Durham are known, spent their first year at Lumley Castle and subsequent years in the Castle at Durham. Lumley Castle was sold in the 1960s by University College to fund the building of the Moatside residential halls in central Durham, in order to keep all students on the same site. The role of Lumley Castle in University College's history is still commemorated by students in the biannual 'Lumley Run'.

Hauntings
In 2005, the touring Australian cricket team was said to have been haunted during their stay at Lumley Castle. Shane Watson got so spooked that he slept on the floor of teammate Brett Lee's room. Even the Australia media officer Belinda Dennett said: "Several of the players were uneasy although a lot of them in the morning said they were fine." Australia are not the only cricket team to said to have been scared by hauntings. In 2000, three members of the West Indian cricket team, including captain Jimmy Adams, checked out of the same hotel because they were scared.

Today
In 1976, management of the castle was handed over to No Ordinary Hotels (although the property is still in the possession of Lord Scarbrough), who had the castle turned into the 59-bedroomed hotel it is today. It is also a picturesque backdrop for Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground, which was first used in 1995.

These two shots were taken at dusk yesterday evening. There were a scattering of parked cars on the drive in front of the castle, which hampered my chances of getting the shots I wanted, so I improvised and done the best I could. Ancient castles and brand new Mercedes cars don't go hand in hand! A very photogenic castle is this - the grounds and nearby golf course are very well kept and there's Squirrels all over the place - photographing them is a different ball game altogether.

Back soon with more shots of the Seven Sisters, Houghton le Spring.

Until then, see ya.

Ash

2012 - Another Year In Photography

Happy New Year to each and every visitor to ashleycorr.com - I hope the festive period was a good one and that the new year has started well for you. Me, well, I always over-indulge during the Christmas holidays, as you do, especially where the grub and grog are concerned, so now is a time of false New Year Resolutions once again. Visit the gym, get in trim, get a proper diet and tow the line - yeah, right...(reaches for the phone to order another curry from his local 'Injunz').

The Christmas/ New Year period was a very quiet one for Mr Corr. Only got out once with the camera and that was to bump up my 'Event Coverage' page by photographing the Boxing Day Dip at Seaburn, Sunderland. Apart from that little outing I was totally anonymous with the camera for ten days, so the time has come to continue my days out 'On Manoeuvres' so to speak. I'm planning some low-light work during the next few days and that will include visits to Lambton Castle (Chester-Le-Street), Seven Sisters (Houghton le Spring), and finally the main event - my long awaited visit to the Northumberland Coast for a shot at some sunrise photography on the beach near Bamburgh Castle. Saturday 14th will see me make the one-hour car journey up to the Castle, getting me there with plenty of time to set up my gear in time for sunrise at 8.25am. Just one snag though, I'm out for a birthday meal at an exclusive 'Injun' restaurant on Friday night so I'd better opt for a 'Mild One' as I don't to be searching for a public convenience in the middle of Bamburgh sand dunes at 7.30am!

Finally, thanks to those kind folk who have prepared me nicely for the nuclear 'Fall Out' the morning after my too regular hot curries. I have been given a whole manner of items to aid my recovery in the 'Ring Sting' department - Ring Of Fire Toilet Wipes, Vinda Loo Roll, not to mention those condiments that cause the bother in the first place - Spontaneous Combustion Hot Sauce, Dave's Insanity Sauce (Special Reserve), along with countless Air Fresheners! Oh dear, I've got myself a dodgy reputation due to my passion for those 'Injun' culinary delights. I must wise up for 2012 and get with the program!

Anyway, that's enough of the prattle. I may return with a 'Curry Tale' at a later date, but for now I'll leave it at that and get down to the task in hand - some new photographs to kick off 2012. I'll catch ya soon folks - very soon. Until then...neck those chilli's and send your recommendations my way. Always on the look out for all things spicey, despite the greater looseness of the stool.

I can be contacted here - enquiries@ashleycorr.com
Ash

Boxing Day Dip 2011, Sunderland

I was in two minds whether to bother with this one. It's been a while since I updated my Event Coverage section at ashleycorr.com so that was one good reason to turn out, but the blustery winds were in danger of getting the better of my indecision. I decided to man-up and get myself down to the coast at Seaburn, Sunderland to photograph my second Boxing Day Dip - the first one I covered was 2009 and a brief blog write up of the event can be found here. Cut and pasted from the online Sunderland Echo newspaper - 14th October, 2011 - It's time to get ready for Sunderland’s 2011 Boxing Day Dip. Hundreds of hardy souls with more charity than sense brave the freezing waters of the North Sea at Seaburn every year in Sunderland Lions Club’s event. This will be the 37th Dip and entries are already coming in – so don’t hang about in getting your form in or you might miss out. Lions spokeswoman Anne Fielding “Last year, 875 dippers took the plunge at Seaburn, raising £60,958 for some 69 different charitable organisations. “Just how brilliant is that? We look forward to this year’s dip being equally successful.”
From penguins and superheroes to characters from Star Wars and Alice in Wonderland, fund-raisers donned a range of wacky costumes for last year’s event. Club president Pam Oliver will make history this year when she dons a sexy lion costume to become the first president to enter the water.

I left the house quite early, giving myself ample time travel to Seaburn and get parked without any delays in time for the 11.00am start. I wish all event coverage was as easy as this one - I got in and out with no problems whatsoever, and even got parked on the doorstep, so to speak. After the event I even had time to grab a nice tray of chips from the shop on Seaburn Promenade, which was empty when I walked in! But enough of that - here a a few photographs I took during this cold, windy day. Well worth the effort though, looking back. To view a full slideshow of 26 images from this event click here.

Cheers, Ash

Lakes Weekender 2 (Last Night At Camp)

And so it was, back to camp to put our feet up round a blazing open fire. We'd collected a fair whack of fire wood on our journey through the woods at Scarness, so once we touched base I prepared the meal while the others went in search for more wood to burn. I fetched a box of 20 Fosters from the car, which was met with approval from Carlos as he returned with a few logs. Massive portions of Pasta Bolognese were put away, in similar fashion to the lager as we sat round the fire to rest those aching muscles. Brian fell asleep at one point - I remember it well. We had a great weekend and once again I can't wait for our next trip, planned for Spring 2012 and an assault on Helvellyn via Striding Edge, check out a video clip of it here. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, and I'm shit scared of heights! Mind you, I got over Sharp Edge in one piece so I should manage this one no bother, ahem! Until then, a few more photo's of our base camp at Scarness in the Lake District. Have a Happy Christmas and a Great New Year!!!

Ash

Lakes Weekender 2 (Skiddaw Summit To Ground Level)

Skiddaw summit to ground level...

In this case 'Ground level' is another name for the Ravenstone Hotel, which is where our challenge started, way back at 10am - seems like an age!

After a 10 minute rest on the summit of Skiddaw, we made our way back down the loose slate path that we struggled with earlier. Of course it was much easier going down than up, but still a testing time for the ankles and knees, as well as the ever aching leg muscles that got us up there in the first place. Although there was still much work to do, it was all down hill from here and we headed off with a smile on our faces. Mission accomplished - it was a toughie but you learn to grit your teeth and push yourself. Had I been on my own I doubt I would have reached the summit - I probably would have thrown in the towel half way up Ullock Pike. My first photo (shown here) was taken just as we began our descent of Skiddaw and the time was 12:57pm - we had to get our skates on before the hotel bar closed, so we had a spurt on, alright. Lee led the way - he must have been promised a free pint, he he. I had much more freedom to take photographs now, as I was so much focused on reaching the summit on the way up that I cast aside any thoughts of stopping to photograph the views. That, coupled with mental exhaustion and my inability to lift the camera up to my eye, he he. I did manage to record a few HD movie clips on my phone though, despite the howling wind spoiling the audio accompaniment.

We continued to have the odd breather on the way down - see my second photo of the group on Carl Side, pausing before our approach to the summit of Ullock Pike. There were very few walkers about at this point, although we did pass a few that were heading in the same direction as us. The sun was quite low, so anyone coming up at this time would have been cutting it fine for a return before sundown. With my supplies of Red Bull and chocolate now spent, it was a case of holding out until we reached the hotel for any kind of refreshment. I'd worked up a decent appetite during this fell walk, so it was music to the ears when Davey announced that Spaghetti Bolognese was on tonights menu, followed by Rice Pudding, cooked on an open camp fire. I'm sure he thought of it gave us an extra gear as we picked up momentum going down the hill.

Again, the views were excellent as we made good time on our journey back to ground level. Probably the best view bar none was that of Bassenthwaite lake from the summit of Ullock Pike. Picture 3 (shown here) is that very view, with the contours of the waters edge turning in and out, showing a series of headlands in the process. The land lay like a patchwork quilt, with its many segregated fields, although I expected much more colour as Autumn was now in full swing. Can't complain though - it's not every day you come across a view like this. And the view stretched far and wide. Visibility was still high and the eye could see as far north as the Solway Firth and its line-up of turbine windmills in the far distance. We still had some distance to cover but this passed quickly with jovial banter accompanying us on the last part of our descent. We could sense that the hotel was just minutes away and joked about it being closed once we reached it, after all we'd battled through earlier. The thought was unbearable, so we changed the subject.

We were almost there. This last photo of us on our walk was taken at 14:17pm, so it had only taken us an hour and a quarter to reach this point from the summit of Skiddaw. As you can see, we almost home and dry - Davy, Carlos and Lee lead the way, with me behind and Brian behind me. Fifteen minutes later we arrived at Ravenstone Hotel, absolutey knackered. Davey went in, looking for signs of life, while the rest of us took the weight off our feet by taking advantage of the spare seats on the hotel drive. Davey popped his head out the door and beckoned us in - we were in luck! We headed through to a small bar at the back of the hotel - we had the place to ourselves, which was ideal. Five pints of San Miguel on draught and that was it - there was a danger of us being there til midnight, but after two more pints we called it a day and headed back across the pastures to base camp. It was a lovely calm, bright evening with no breeze at all
and the 20 minute walk across the fields without standing in cow-shit wasn't as easy as one might think. We were collecting wood on the way, which was destined for another trademark 'Lloydo' camp fire as evening fell. We all got back to camp safely, although knackered by this time, and it was now time for further relaxation, with the aid of food and alcohol.

Here are two more photo's, taken in the Ravenstone Hotel. Good memories!
One last blog entry to follow of our Lakes Weekender 2, coming shortly.
Until then, see ya, Ash

Lakes Weekender 2 (Ullock Pike to Skiddaw Summit)

The final ascent of Skiddaw awaited us. We had the benefit of a 15 minute break to refuel our bodies before the final push and although this was a big help, it never felt like it once we began the final climb. This was a killer and I don't mind admitting it. We were already two hours into our fell walk/climb so there wasn't a great deal left in the tank, so to speak, but we had come this far and there was now little or no option to see the task through. Brian had confessed to Davey that he didn't think he could go any further at this point, but with those wise words of encouragement from Davey "Just get on with it man, what's a matter with ya", Brian was soon on his feet and contemplating the task ahead. Davey never did mince his words, he he. What we had endured since our walk began was nothing less than very testing terrain for even the most experienced fell walker. The majority of it was steep ascent, coupled with the odd scramble or two, but below boot was hard rock and ground, not the stuff we were about to come across. The last thing a fell walker wants at this point is loose slate under foot, and we were about to tackle this on our final steep push to Skiddaw summit. The first two photographs give you an idea of what I'm talking about. As I made my first few steps up this punishing slope the weak slate gave way under my boots, making the whole episode much harder than I first anticipated. I remember stopping and looking towards the summit, inwardly hoping someone could magically beam me up and plonk me at the top, escaping the ordeal that lay before me. As the lads passed me at this point I remember making a sudden surge to reclaim my slot near the front of the pack, not wanting to drift further back and finish the day as a knackered heap at the back of the pack. Looking back now, I often wonder where I generated that last burst of energy to reach the pinnacle - when the going gets tough...

Lee shouted at pointed to his right. On an adjoining path up the scree hill was what I can only describe as a nutcase. Yes, some geezer was riding down from Skiddaw summit on a monutain bike! I could have swore I was hallucinating. Yes, there he was - we marveled at his style as he flew down that hill of weak slate like his life depended on it. He was enjoying the moment, that's for sure. Who'd blame him - he must have nearly killed himself getting that bike all he way up there. And there was little old me thinking 'I' should be the one who needed my head looking at, he he. The final push seemed to last forever and just when I thought I could see the end of the line, there was that little bit extra to go, then more, and a bit more after that. I reached the top of the hill but then there'd be another peak further on, so it was much more of the same punishment that made you laugh with hysteria eventually. When I did finally reach the summit, Lee and Carlos had already been there for ten minutes or so. They were smiling broadly but I wasn't sure whether that was due to the realisation that they'd crossed the finish line or whether it was simply cos' they were supping Carlsberg as their reward. They kept that one quiet - smuggling beer up a northern fell should be outlawed, especially as they didn't carry one for me (the pair of knackers!!!).

Davey soon followed. He'd hung back to encourage Brian, who was just about dead on his feet by this point, but job very well done nevertheless (picture 3). I too was fust about finished by this point and the handicap of carrying a backpack of camera gear had definately hindered my progress up the mountain. I often wondered what posessed me to carry a 'Breeze block' on my back, and now it was time for a return. Out came the camera and I snapped away uncontrollably. The views were stunning, which made up for the freezing cold wind that was now hammering us at the summit. There were maybe 30-40 other fell walkers amongst us, all admiring the views at all sides. This was certainly a moment to savour - all that hard graft was well worth the end result. We sat for a few minutes behind a man made slate wall, sheltering from the wind, before getting to our feet and beginning the arduous task of returning to ground level - another hour and a half of torture for the joints!

The mountain structure of Skiddaw can be described as a network of sloping ridges. The actual summit of Skiddaw itself is a long straight ridge running from north to south with a number of lesser summits along its route. So in addition to the main summit, Skiddaw also has a north top, middle top and south top, some with little difference in height. Wainwright notes that Skiddaw summit "... takes the form of a stony, undulating ridge exceeding 3000 ft throughout its length of almost half a mile and provides a glorious promenade high in the sky where one can enjoy a rare feeling of freedom and escape from a world far below, and, for a time, forgotten "(Wainwright 1962, Skiddaw 22). This main ridge is connected from the south east by Skiddaw Little Man, a shorter ridge with the main summit at 865 meters. From the south west there is the curving ridge that connects Ullock Pike, Longside and Carl Side.

With Skiddaw conquered, plus Ullock Pike and the adjoining Carl Side and Long Side, that was four more peaks ticked off. This walk was my toughest yet, make no mistake. Carlos commented on the experience for him, saying 'It's one of the hardest things I've ever done.' Yet he strolled it, for me. At 48 years, and the oldest of our group, he negotiated the task very well indeed, defying his years. It was therefore ironic that the oldest geezer should reach the summit first and the youngest should show up last. It was 'Well done' to each of us, and I for one am looking forward to the next one. We had a good laugh from Friday to Sunday and for weeks beyond that, come to think of it. What, with disappearing toilet rolls, septic tanks, out of date sandwiches and speed camera's, who knows what awaits us the next time! That's half the fun though - it is what it is.

The final installment of Lakes Weekender 2 will be here shortly, with more scenic photo's taken on our descent, by yours truly, plus a few capsite shots of the lads. Until then, thanks for stopping by.
Ash