Wiltshire - through and through...

Yes, Wiltshire now has the M4 and a huge plant assembling Honda cars but three key elements here make up Wiltshire's long history and original character.

Without me even having the need to clone anything out and in its mild sepia tone, this image could have been taken a century ago...

Firstly, the ancient monument, here the original Salisbury (the city is correctly called New Sarum), as the large hill fort that overlooked the area and is now under the guise of English Heritage and is known as Old Sarum. I've blipped from the top many a time and the views are incredible and it remains a good very local place (within half hour walking distance) to get pictures from. Only entrance to bridged very inner circle costs money now and so the rest is often taken up by dog walkers and kite-flyers etc.

Trouble with the side-on view is that it just looks like a flat pudding. The rough concentric rings (ramparts) have lost their shape somewhat and so getting a good pic is difficult.

This is where a good sky comes in. Wiltshire's skies are big wide and open and with Salisbury Plain to the north and the more friendly downland and rivers of the south, the weather is often conducive to good skies. That's the second element in the trio.

Shot with a polariser, the clouds were actually far subtler than this - a passing formation on this otherwise bright blue, but bloody freezing morning. On the way to black & white and treated accordingly the contrast between blue sky and clouds have been dramatically increased. Cheating? Well, many a landscape snapper using film have used similar techniques in the darkroom to do much the same thing.

Thirdly, sheep. Medieval England found much wealth in wool and Salisbury especially so. The fences may have changed in technology but sheep graze almost anywhere and do on the foothills to this monument. No lambs that I could see and when the light rolled down and hit them, I knew I'd have to make a good shot of it.

Lens is Sigma 17-70mm, at wide end.

My 'Four Sheep' Blip has just that taken on the ramparts of Old Sarum at dusk, back last November.

Thanks to all who helped get yesterday's misty river nightscene up into the spotlight!

Peaceful Esater Sunday to you all. May there be a Blip in every Easter egg for you too!