I was looking for woodland on my walk this week – and I found it, to a degree, behind the colour in construction of the Science and Technology Block of York University.
It was open woodland straggling along the back of the university which I picked up again on my return across open fields. The colours used in the modern buildings reflected those of older walls surrounding the adjacent York House BIRT facility. I enjoyed the colour in both as well as the textures and patterns in the old, and the cleanliness and hard edges of the new.Continue reading→
Exploring one of Swansea’s old industrial areas on my walk this week, I am focused on how nature continues to take over Copperopolis. The old Hafod-Morfa Copperworks has plants growing out of its walls now – it closed down in 1980 and nature seems to be doing a fairly efficient job of reclamation as 1980 doesn’t seem all that long ago to me (I must be getting old!).
But the wall plants weren’t the only things of interest as the shapes, patterns and textures of the old walls were also caught my eye. From theContinue reading→
My walk this week has been around the area next to Bristol Temple Meads and at the end of this architectural walk I entered the railway station, not just to view its structure and design but talso to listen to its sounds.
The start of my soundscape for this walk, like the photos posted at the start of the week, provide some evidence of people – footsteps and voices – but not nearly as much as you might expect for the number of people that were actually there. Perhaps the sounds of human voices and the actions of individuals were being absorbed or muffled by the three dimensional complexity of the city’s architecture and the activities taking place, such as building construction, trains, traffic, etc.
The sounds inside the station were, as you would expect, different. Aside from the echo and reverberation of the cavernous space, the density of people and subsequently their voices and conversations rose to another level. And then the trains arrived and the background ambience changed again – until the train left.
This walk did not involve much in the way of nature and for me there is no question about which is more pleasant and relaxing (a natural environment), but I still find the urban environment of huge interest and I am just as fascinated by the textures, patterns, shapes and colours to be seen and heard around me in the city as I am in a wood or on a mountain – less relaxed but still interested.
This weeks final post for my walk this week along Swansea Bay and back through the marina includes a selection of images from along the walk with all its space and textures and patterns and now of course, the sounds as well.
The soundscape below contains just as many intricate patterns and textures as the visuals – from sea and blustering breeze to urban construction, the activities of marina visitors and the plinking of rigging against masts.
Continuing on my walk this week along Swansea beach the promenade wall and sea defence is made of concrete. To some this may not be the most exciting of materials to look at but interesting things have often been done with in in architecture.
Swansea sea wall has sections that are embossed with selected maritime words but the words I have focussed on in these images have been scratched into the surface which seems to me more in keeping with the materials (as with the embossed words) than the more normal painted graffiti. Continue reading→
My walk this week was not quite circular but the end point at then of this Cwm Dulais track is only a few hundred metres from my starting point for the walk.
The title of this post is literal rather than metaphorical. The sixth and final gate on my walk was accompanied by a cattle grid and so the way, at least for animals, was indeed barred. I started the posts for my walk this week with some images of walls and so as I approach the end of the walk it seemed appropriate to include the walls I found at this last stage.
My walk this week is a local circular walk and anyone living in the area should recognise just from the glimpse of the road sign in the first image, exactly where it is. The walk is a very enjoyable one that provides both exertion on the climb uphill and peace and tranquility in the valley return.
As with my StillWalks videos I have not identified where the walk is to anyone who doesn’t already know it because the location is not relevant. It is the sights and sounds and the signs of the season that I enjoy on my walks and in that respect this first post for my walk this week are the walls alongside the footpath that were of particular interest to me.
