For this first week of 2018 I have picked out some of my preferred shots taken on the many walks I enjoyed last year. Today I am looking at a few of my favoured photos from July to September 2017 and if you want to see more of them, just select the posts from the monthly archive on the blog page.
This, the second of the walking routes for the Our Gower Project, included on consecutive days both wet weather and dry. While the dry was more relaxing, the wet provided both atmosphere and a different, and perhaps more varied soundscape.
The images below are a selection from both days while the soundscape is from the second (dry) day. Although I said the wet weather provided a more variations in the aural environment,Continue reading
This walk for the “Our Gower” project extends beyond Bishopston Valley to the beach at Pwll Du, but I thought I would present some of the details of the valley which, with the dry weather of the second project day in the valley, allowed us to explore and photograph more easily.
We also recorded some of the sounds of the thickly wooded valley and made notes about the atmosphere of the place – how it made us feel, what its colours and textures were like and something of the history and geography of the environment. For instance, Guzzle HoleContinue reading
The second of the schools I walked with on the Our Gower project had no more luck with the weather than when we walked out on the marshes (see last weeks posts) – if anything, it was worse!
Bishopston Valley on South Gower is home to some wonderful ancient woodland . . . and when it is wet, it is also home to a great deal of mud. Despite the wet conditions (or perhaps because of them) everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. As well as Wellington boots, everyone had been givenContinue reading
Our project recce walk down Bishopston Valley to Pwll Du Bay and along the cliff path ended at Caswell Bay where, being a good day in August (unusual!), this popular South Gower beach was busy with families enjoying their holidays.
The soundscape to accompany the images below includes Bishopston Pill (river) as it flows underground at Guzzle Hole and the clack of stones as we walked across Pwll Du Bay and the holiday activities of those on the beach Caswell Bay. Continue reading
My walk this week reveals another area of the South Gower coast I had not visited before – Pwlldu (or Pwll Du). Approaching the bay from Bishopston Valley meant I couldn’t see the sea until I was on top of the huge bank of stones originally deposited there as waste from quarrying nearby.
Having taken longer than expected to navigate the rough terrain and muddy footpath in Bishopston Valley, we sat down on the stones in the sunshine fro eat our sandwiches before exploring the bay a little and throwing stones into the lagoon which has formed at the mouth of Bishopston Pill as a result of the banks of stones. Details about these unusual banks of stone can be found on Jessica’s Nature Blog.
Is there a creature in that dark lagoon creating those expanding ripples or is it just the effect of our splashing stones?
My walk this week follows one of the routes we will be taking on a schools project this Autumn. A recce had to be made and a risk assessment done and in Bishopston Valley on the South Gower coast there are plenty of risks, particularly when it has been wet.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained and the young 13 and 14 year olds we will be taking along this exciting footpath will hopefully enjoy the challenge. Continue reading