In any Welsh woodland you are unlikely to be far from the sound of running water – or any other part of Wales for that matter, woodland or not. Penllergare Valley Woods is no exception and on my walk this week, I could have recorded any number of water sounds.
The sound from the stretch of river seen below was quite gentle but it is by no means always like this.
River Sound
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It was a nice sunny day for my walk this week, though I still had my umbrella with me as an encumbrance. My final view of the walk was looking across Swansea Bay from the dunes to Mumbles and its lighthouse.
I have included a soundscape again this week to accompany my selection of images from the walk. Click the play button and then the first thumbnail to view the images in sequence.
Tawe Walk Soundscape
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Having come full circle and arrived back at the blue footbridge and lock on my walk this week around part of the maritime quarter of Swansea, I focused my attention on the bridge and lock rather than the churning water of the river falling over the weir (see Monday’s post).
Patterns, sound and movement can be seen below in a mixture of photos and video taken on both my Canon and iPhone cameras.
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On my walk this week along the riverside footpath by the Tawe from Morfa it was Spring going on Summer and the flowers were out to prove it – all but the buddleia.
Approaching one of the footbridges across the river there were plenty of the ribwort in the image below. It is a wildflower I particularly like, partly because of good memories playing with them as a child, but particularly at this time of year when they are in flower.
Of course, all of the wildflowers are special in their own right, even the dandelion – when it’s not all over your garden lawn! Below there is also, wood violet, herb robert, cowslip and primroses all lining the footpath of the River Tawe. There is one more, but I will post that tomorrow!
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There are many different aspects to the valley in which The Waterside – Felindre is situated. My walk this week is only around the lake and today’s post takes us across the footbridge at the northern end. Listening to the sound clip below, I like the layering of the sound of my footsteps on the wooden bridge with the different aspects of sound from the water as I approach, cross and then walk away from the bridge.
The woodland on one of the steep sides to this valley and more open fields on the other give the place an intimate, peaceful feel – a perfect place to relax and enjoy the facilities and hospitality of Sue and Steve Heatherington who run both The Waterside and Welsh Valley Alpacas.
My photos today are looking at one or two of the details of the lakeside.
On Friday this week (5th Feb) StillWalks will be at The Waterside running presentations about the StillWalks package for businesses and organisations. If anyone is interested in coming along to this regular open day at The Waterside, please check out the website above and contact us in advance.
Crossing the Footbridge
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As my walk extended round to the unlit side of Hemlington Lake my photos became still darker. At this point I am facing away from the town and much of the light and colour reflected on the clouds is hidden by the trees behind me.
In the first image you can just see the near side of the footbridge with the railings of its far side silhouetted against the street light. Below is a short sound clip of my footsteps crossing the bridge and it is after this that a gentle rain starts.
Footsteps and Rain
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The footbridge over Bluebell Beck where it feeds into Hemlington Lake has a great sound underfoot. Being a simple metal construction, it produces a kind of hollow echoing sound as you cross it. It is also a good place to stop, look at the details of the surrounding winter vegetation and watch birds approaching the bridge from further up the beck.
You can hear this sound below and again in this Sunday’s soundscape from part of the StillWalks sequence.
Footsteps on Footbridge
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I mostly work with colour images but now and then I find one that I think benefits from the monochrome treatment. I have a preference for the sepia effect but usually prefer to create this myself rather than use a ready made filter.
This footbridge is featured in the StillWalks video below – Troserch Woodland Walk – but not this shot of it and not in monochrome.
This monochrome (sepia) image is also featured in the Leanne Cole Photography’s Monochrome Madness blog post for today. Thanks, Leanne, for that – another great post 🙂
All StillWalks videos are available to buy as High Definition (HD) downloads. Just click on the Shop drop down menu button. Or you can pay what you like for this video (normal price £3.00) with the donate button below and I will send you a link to download this featured video in HD. Please allow up to 24 hours for delivery of the download link.
