Anderton

On By geoffspagesIn NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

15 August: a day out in Cheshire – the Boat Lift and a cruise on the Weaver navigation.

Part 1: the Anderton Boat Lift. It’s been on the ‘to-do’ list for a long time, and today it’s part 1 of a tremendous day out. The original lift was relatively simple in concept – two giant water-filled cylinders, each supporting a caisson which could hold a canal boat, to transfer those boats between the Trent and Mersey Canal and, some 50 feet below, the Weaver Navigation. The caissons counterbalanced each other on the water balance principle, like some seaside cliff lifts. Salt and chemical corrosion cause the 1875 mechanism to deteriorate, and in the early 20th century an electric motor-powered mechanism was installed, using cables to raise and lower the caissons. Its huge A-frames and cog mechanism changed the outward appearance of the lift considerably.

Further corrosion led to closure in 1983; renovation and restoration meant it was back in action in 2001, once again using hydraulic lifts, now using oil rather than water to prevent corrosion. A relatively minor failure in the mechanism used to open and close the caissons means it’s currently not operational, but should be back in use next year (2027). Nevertheless our expertly-guided tour of the lift was most enjoyable, being both very interesting and informative. The visitor centre, with its displays and cafe, is pretty good too!

Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre

Part 2 – our cruise in “The Danny” – will follow soon, I hope.

Where is it? View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=364656&Y=375226&A=Y&Z=115

A Scottish circular tour

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

It seems I’ve earned a day out on my own – where shall I go? I’ve been on the rails at Perth several times in the last couple of years – passing through as part of a longer journey, often in the dark… Let’s go and take a look at its magnificent station!
The 09.11 from Dunbar will be perfect – it’s 20 minutes late today, so I don’t need to hurry. At Waverley, I’ll board a train to Perth via the Forth Bridge and Ladybank. It’s running late too – I’ve time to see what is else is happening. The Royal Scotsman train is at platform 19: its passengers will have paid more than 100 times more than me for their trip – admittedly three days-worth – I wonder if they gained 100 times more enjoyment?
The Perth train arrived, very shortly after another arrival at the same platform, causing some confusion for waiting passengers. There have been problems today – a bridge strike, a broken down train, and the new ScotRail ticketing app is misbehaving… Nevertheless, my trip to Perth runs smoothly.
I’ll return by a different route, pausing at Stirling – again, a most attractive station – to take a short trip to Alloa and back. Closed in 1968, the 6.8 mile stretch to Alloa was reopened in 2008. Ten years later, electric trains began running, a through service between Alloa and Glasgow, with excellent connections at Stirling. In the most recent accounting period, over half a million passengers used its unassuming and functional modern terminus.
In addition to Alloa – Glasgow, a similarly-frequent electric service runs through Stirling between Dunblane and Edinburgh. One of the latter whisks me back to Waverley, where I’m just in time for a Dunbar service.
I haven’t mentioned the view from the train window – north of the Forth it’s a very pleasant and scenic journey – just under 200 miles in total, a most enjoyable day out!

An east coast gem

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There are some very attractive little fishing harbours around Scotland’s east coast, most of them well known, and big enough to cope with fairly large numbers of visitors. This one isn’t – it’s a tiny gem, little known but already attracting visitors. It can’t take many – car parking space is very limited, and overexposure to the rest of the world will ruin it. So – here’s a purely photographic record of a interesting short visit on an August afternoon of sunshine and sharp showers (we could have got wet! We were lucky – there are caves!)

Tantallon

On By geoffspagesIn Dunbar, NT and EH, PhotographyLeave a comment

4 August 2026: A splendid ruin on the East Lothian clifftops, just a couple of miles to the east of North Berwick. It’s a great place to explore, with dark spiral staircases and unexpected rooms. The views over the coast are great, especially that of the Bass Rock, white with many thousands of gannets. However, I suspect the best views of the castle are from a little way off…
Explorations over, we have to visit North Berwick. The sun is coming out, and it’s beginning to feel warm – the ice creams are just what’s required. A little later, we’re heading back to Dunbar – and a sunny spotlight is lighting Tantallon across the golden cornfields, a spectacular inverse silhouette against the dark seas and sky beyond (yes, the best views are from a little way off…) Moments later the spotlight has moved off the castle (and there was nowhere to stop for a photo), but the image is etched into memory…

Tantallon Castle – Historic Scotland

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=359690&Y=684983&A=Y&Z=120

Stephenson – North Tyneside

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Sunday 2 August: I’m taking a break on the long journey north, visiting a steam railway and museum just beyond the northern exit from the Tyne Tunnel. It may be the North Tyneside Steam Railway; it may be the Stephenson Steam Railway. It seems to have been both at some stage. This may be a reflection of its history, its track laid on the route of several historic waggonways and the former Blyth and Tyne Railway, and more recently, in 1973, a test track for the Metro, then in development.

Whatever its history, the ride, though short (2 miles each way) is pleasant and surprisingly rural, lined with greenery for much of the way. Journey over, a visit to the museum proves to be very rewarding – a well set-up and well-displayed collection of unexpectedly interesting exhibits. Worth another visit, I reckon…

North Tyneside Steam Railway
Stephenson Steam Railway

An hour at Shirlett

On By geoffspagesIn Walks, Photography, Shropshire hillsLeave a comment

I had a leg stretch earlier today, kicking my heels around the warm streets Shrewsbury while the car was serviced… It’s still warm in the evening, and I need a breath of fresh air too (not that Shrewsbury is particularly polluted). It’s not just warm – it’s quite humid, and there’s not a breath of wind. I’ll create my own breeze if I keep moving.
The clearance of fallen timber from the December ’24 storms is under way at Shirlett; away from the timber piles, the helleborines, now in flower, are struggling on, though it needs a burst of light from the flashgun to reveal the colour in these somewhat dowdy wild orchids. There’s colour in the western sky too, when I return to the car. What a difference an hour makes!

View OS map on Streetmap http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=365790&Y=298180&A=Y&Z=120

Butterflies: Round Hill to Nordley Common

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

Even the route of this short wander is vaguely butterfly-shaped! There are speckled woods on Round Hill. A little further on, the woods are being taken away (more victims of the storm of December 2024?). Continuing along the Smithies and on up to Nordley Common, there are butterflies everywhere. The breeze is making them restless, but there are sufficient posers for a photo or two, especially on a patch of fleabane, which they all seem to enjoy. There are gatekeepers, meadow browns, red admirals – and a couple of those eye-catching common blues (not the easiest to photograph – even if they land, they’re rarely still for long).   Just as well, because otherwise there’s very little colour in the landscape. That will come with autumn, just over a month away now.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367690&Y=297465&A=Y&Z=120