My walk this week was a short one by the River Ely on the edge of Cardiff and slotted in between the rain and meetings. The profusion of recent rain was showing its effect on the river, though I am sure this is nothing compared to other areas of the country.
The sights and sounds of the river rushing and gurgling along during lunchtime break in a nearby school (you can hear the children in the playground) was intermittently overlaid by the speeding by of local and intercity trains.Continue reading→
My walk this week started in a local park, crossed frozen marshes, went under and over two railway bridges, crossed a motorway, fields and returned to the park. I saw automobiles on the motorway but no trains and only distant planes. However, I did record the somehow relaxing sound of a light aircraft and the sound of my footsteps on rock hard frozen, frosty fields – the soundscape will be posted tomorrow in my review of the walk.
Reviewing my walk this week I realise that the railway line running across this bridge separates not only the beach from the town, but also something of the wind as well. The beach at Colwyn Bay in North Wales is a wide open expanse across which the wind can blow unimpeded until it reaches the railway embankment above the promenade. However, this barrier does not run the full length of the bay by any means and so I imagine, like Swansea’s seafront in the south of the country, the sand gets blown far into the streets nearby.
The soundscape below illustrates the point at which the wind starts blowing – just as I cross the road to the promenade at the pedestrian crossing. My favourite sound in this soundscape is towards the end – the rhythmic rattle of metal on metal in the wind before I return to the road.
Leaving the beach
Colwyn Bay Soundscape
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My walk this week was my first visit to Corris in the Welsh mountains. I have passed it on the main road often enough but never had the opportunity to stop. It is a beautiful place even when wet and now that I have had a look around, I know that there is a narrow gauge steam railway to be enjoyed.
I wasn’t able to take advantage of this feature as I had other plans for a StillWalks production walk up the mountain above Corris Uchaf and overlooking Tal-y-Llyn but if you are planning a holiday in the area . . .
Morris railway station
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This was a first for me – viewing the railway into Swansea from underneath. For some reason it had not occurred to me that the Tawe riverside footpath would, at this location, inevitably pass under the railway.
There is something fascinating, even exciting, about the combination of natural and man made – wood, leaf, concrete and iron – the different (and similar) scales has as much to do with my fascination as the juxtaposed materials and textures.
The reflection of the bridge in the waters of the river below provides a link between the hard functional materials of its construction and the more natural woodland lining the river.
Both the railway and the footpath were in use on this Sunday morning with plenty of walkers, joggers, children and dogs enjoying the woodland. However, I didn’t either see or hear a train during my walk.
Walking Conversations
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This was one of my last views on my recce walk through the Lledr Valley in Snowdonia, North Wales. I didn’t manage to do any field recording on this walk so I am afraid there is no soundscape again this week, but a sequence of selected photos from through the week can be viewed below.
Before climbing to a higher position on my walk this week in the Lledr Valley in North wales, I called into Pont-y-Pant station. This was prompted by the shot below and a sense of wonder at the effort and engineering that is required to create a tunnel through such solid material.
The local goats living in the fields near the top of the Goppa hollow way footpath have a great view over the landscape around Pontarddulais to the 11 arched railway bridge and the Louchor estuary. The bridge is a feature of the area which I have been trying to photograph for some time. Getting the best angle at the right time of day and in suitable weather conditions is a challenge. It appears distant in the middle ground of this shot and of course, another factor that I must consider is equipment. I don’t want to take my tripod and zoom lens with me on every time I walk up this hill and so there will always be an element of chance when it comes to getting a photo I feel does the bridge justice.
