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Tag Archives: Stratford-upon-avon canal

You may gather that I love nothing more than putting my camera and lenses in a backpack and then setting off along the local canal network.  When cycling along the canals, it is interesting to see cottages near to large flights of locks.  These Lockmasters’ Cottages are part of the waterways heritage when the canals were busy with traffic.  The canals were the major highways and people were employed to check that the boat traffic ran efficiently and smoothly.  Now these Cottages are part of the scenery and many are privately owned or used as holiday homes.  The architecture is interesting and they are positioned so they have a prominent view of the waterway.  I have selected a few of the cottages that I have photographed on my travels using my Canon D5 mk4 with the EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens and EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens.  Both are fine in a small photographic backpack for cycling.  When taking the photographs, I like the overall view and look to capture the “feel” whether it will be stillness shown by the reflections or activity with a boat going through the lock.  I put the Cottage in the frame and aim to tell a story through the picture.

Finally I have also include an older picture of the Lockmaster’s Cottage in Lowsenford that is owned by the Landmark Trust.  In 2015, five of Sir Antony Gormley statues were commissioned to celebrate 50 years of the Landmark Trust. This statue was placed near to the centre of England and was next to Lengthman’s Cottage, Lowsonford, Warwickshire. The other four were at four ends of the compass around the UK whilst this one was on the Stratford-upon-Avon canal. They were displayed for only 1 year and then returned to Sir Antony Gormley.

Stratford-upon-avon Canal
Bottom lock at Hatton near Warwick on Grand Union Canal
Long Exposure of the Cottage at Kingswood junction, Lapworth.
The pretty cottage at Preston Bagot on the Stratford canal
Stratford Canal
Stratford Canal
Lengthsman’s Cottage in 2015 with the Sir Antony Gormley statue.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, Austy Wood opened its doors .  The wood is privately owned and is normally not accessible to the public.  There is a footpath that navigates the edge of the wood and it is possible to look into the wood and imagine what it is like.  Three charities came together to make it possible to visit the inside of the wood.  Volunteers from Cure Leukaemia, Rotary Club and the Firefighter’s Charity helped organise and arrange for the woods to be open.  It was not only the charities that benefited as there was also a donation to Wootton Warren primary school.

Austy wood boasts the best Bluebell display in Warwickshire and is located on the Stratford Road just past Wooton Warren.  The route is approximately 1 ½ miles long.  The walk starts at Yew Tree Farm and initially you pass over the Stratford-upon-Avon canal and then move onto the farm houses where representatives from the charities take your fee.  A gentle uphill walk leads to the wood.  Look back and you see a magnificent view of the Warwickshire countryside.  Don’t worry about a picture as you revisit that view at the end of the walk.  Entering the woods, I was excited by the sporadic displays of bluebells but this was just a taster to the real show waiting.  Meeting volunteer firemen, the path moves through a meadow and skirts some beautiful carpets of blue flowers.  Yet again this is just the prelude to the main event.  As the path moves deeper into the wood, the carpet becomes thicker and with the sun relatively low in the morning sky, there are lovely shadows to be photographed.

The path then doubles back and drops down into varied parts of the wood.  By this time, you are able to take in the bluebell vista and there are a few surprises such as badger paths and old upturned tree trunks.  Then finally the path leads out of the woods and it is back to that wonderful vista of the Warwickshire countryside.

 

There was so much to photograph and the colours of the bluebells was intense.  The light and shadows was exhilarating and needless to say many photographs were taken.

Thank you to the three charities who helped organise the event.  Dave of the Rotary Club asked if the pictures could be used to advertise the event for next year.  I know that I will be looking out for the dates when the wood is open next year.

The pictures include those of the different volunteers that I met on my walk through the woods.

The opening picture was featured by the BBC on their weatherwatchers site “Record breaking bank holiday weather”

Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
Setting off
Volunteers at the start
Long shadows in the morning
Made in Oz?
Onwards and upwards
Bluebells at the start of the walk
Firefighter volunteer
The beautiful blue carpet
Green paths through the blue
The blue carpet thickens
Wide angled view
Pine “fruit”
Light and shadows on the Bluebells
Close up and bokeh
The morning sun breaks through the trees
More blue views
The views go on and on
More happy volunteers
Who made this path?
Coming to the end of the woodland walk
The arrow shows the way out
Not a bad place to volunteer.
Thank you to our sponsoring charities
The beautiful Warwickshire countryside
More visitors arriving
It is busy at the start
The car park is filling up
A great family day out
A friendly face at the car park. I will be back next year.

The sun came back after a really dull week and so I jumped into the car down to one of my favourite locations for photographs.  Kingswood Junction is near to Lapworth and is where the Stratford-upon-Avon canal meets the Grand Union canal via a small connection under the railway bridge.  I played around with long exposure, long focal length lens and an old fish eye lens that I have.  All good fun and long may the sun shine.

A small boat in the marina
Which way?
Via the Grand Union
The connection between the two major waterways
Long exposure
Long exposure with black and white treatment
The Fish eye view
A pleasant sunny day