Tag Archives: restoration

NBGW lake

My Walk this Week – Landscape Ageing and Restoration

Posted on by

My walk this week is from the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW), though it turned out not to be the walk we had expected as the Pont Felin Gat woodland was closed off to the public for clearance / restoration work. The images show one of the existing lakes in the gardens as well as the site of another lake from the past. This is being restored but in the meantime the landscape of tree stumps creates some fascinating patterns, textures and colours.

So we followed the “blue” walk instead and climbed past old farm buildings which also look in need of restoration. Again, the colours, patterns and textures revealedContinue reading→

Turning Point

Posted on by

The starting point for my walk this week alongside Swansea Canal, was where the River Tawe loops tightly round right next to the canal which is elevated above the river. The turning point for my walk on this section at Clydach, is where the Tawe loops back to the canal again. One of the points about any canal is that they provide a more direct route than a meandering river.

It was good to be able to look down on the river again before turning back and retracing my steps by the canal. I may have been returning the way I had come but walking any route in the opposite direction gives a different view, a new perspective on the surroundings.

In the last image on this Sunday morning, men from Swansea Canal Society can be seen at work on the lock I passed earlier. By the time I reached them the path was quite busy, not only with their activity, but with cyclists and walkers as well – an ever changing environment.

River Tawe

Working on the canal

If viewing this in an email, to see the sound player you will need to visit the blog – please click the post title to view the full post.

Canal People

Posted on by

There are many people that use Swansea Canal – perhaps not on the canal itself, but alongside it on the towpath. Walkers, joggers and cyclists – adults and children alike enjoy many aspects of the canal. And then of course there are the birds, ducks, dogs and cats and no doubt a million insects too.

The Swansea Canal Society clearly do an excellent job of taking care of the canal as well as restoring it where possible.

At this point on my walk this week, I was passing Coed Gwilym Park. The canal has left the industrial area of Clydach with The Mond Nickel Works and is heading up the valley towards Pontardawe. The houses and gardens have changed, Spring is starting to show  and the canal society is advertising itself and looking for new members.

Swansea Canal art work

Canal Sounds

If viewing this in an email, to see the sound player you will need to visit the blog – please click the post title to view the full post.

Rust and Restoration

Posted on by

About ten years ago we had a studio in Swansea’s Maritime Quarter. We first moved into it just before the area started being developed. The old dock next to the studio building was empty and a number of the buildings were derelict – it wasn’t the best area in town. How things change!

Walking round what is now the marina was . . . interesting – now it is very pleasant. The dock has boats in it again and housing, other buildings and art around it. The National Waterfront Museum holds a significant space there as do other architectural developments.

On this walk there was still a taste of the past, not so much in the brightly painted and well maintained Helwick Lightship but in the old rust bucket resting next to it. It looks a fascinating vessel and I am sure there must be good reason for it being there –  perhaps it is awaiting restoration. Why ever it’s there, they make for quite a contrast sitting next to each other.

Swansea maritime quarter

lightship

old rusty boat