My Walk this Week and the Influence of Angle

Posted on 04/09/201701/09/2017 by Alastair

My walk this week is one I have taken many times but as always, the conditions are different every time. On this occasion it was the angle from which I was viewing things that had a strong the influence on my photography of the walk.

For instance, it may be obvious to many of you what the image above shows, but as I passed by on Swansea Bay’s wonderful expansive beach, for some reason I thought to myself, “That’s a funny thing to draw in shells on the beach” – I thought it looked like a boot! (I know, don’t ask! Lol). Continue reading→

Project Recce Walk – Bishopston to Caswell, Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 02/09/201725/08/2017 by Alastair

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→

Project Recce Walk – Cliff Path to Caswell Bay

Posted on 01/09/201724/08/2017 by Alastair

The path on this third section of our recce walk for a schools project in the Autumn runs along the steep cliff edge between Pwll Du and Caswell Bay on South Gower. Along the sometimes hair-raising path there were wonderful views of a beautifully coloured sea.

It was warm and bright at this stage of our walk and the flora and fauna were taking advantage of it with beetles, lizards and wildflowers showing themselves while others enjoyed the breeze and calm surface of the water. Continue reading→

Project Recce Walk – Pwlldu Bay Stones

Posted on 30/08/201723/08/2017 by Alastair

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?

Pwlldu Bay

Pwlldu Bay stones

South Gower

Pwlldu Bay Gower

colour in the seascape

Pwlldu lagoon

expanding circles

splash 1

splash 2

crack in the rocks

Cwmdu Walk Part 3 – Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 26/08/201718/08/2017 by Alastair

Back where I started by the farm and spinning/weaving workshop where my daughter was learning how to use a spinning wheel and on time for the end of her day at All In a Spin.

The three stages of this walk – up the valley (Cwm Sorgwm), across the top (Mynydd Llangorse), and down into the valley again will be edited as a StillWalks video. As the existing selected images and soundscapes would make the video last about 20 minutes, I will have to re-edit and select these to bring the video length down to about 9 or 10 minutes. Continue reading→

For the Love of Gates

Posted on 25/08/201718/08/2017 by Alastair

On this last section of the third part of my walk above Cwmdu in Wales I had the enjoyment of going back through the gates I had passed through on my ascent of the valley – Cwm Sorgwm which lies between the Brecon Beacons and The Black Mountains.

I am sure there must be psychological significance to my enjoyment of gates (symbolic opportunities perhaps?), but one thing seems sure – Continue reading→

Walking – Cwmdu Walk Part 2, Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 19/08/201712/08/2017 by Alastair

The end of this middle section of my walk above Cwmdu on the hills between the Brecon beacons and The Black Mountains in Wales, showed me a path I could have taken.

However, the pile or cairn of stones in the foreground above also marked the point at which I would leave this path and descend back down into the valley – Cwm Sorgwm. Continue reading→

Following the Footpath

Posted on 18/08/201712/08/2017 by Alastair

Once up on top of Mynydd Llangorse the footpath to follow was quite clear across the moorland on my StillWalks production walk above Cwmdu, which lies between the Brecon Beacons and The Black Mountains in Wales.

There were other people about – a couple of couples passed by and a group of hikers who were camping down by Llangorse Lake. Not so many people to stop me having the place to myself Continue reading→

Category Archives: Travel