Farm and Fell

I have booked myself on a photographic course, run by Amy Bateman. She is the author of “Forty Farms”, my current favourite photographic book. All the farms are in Cumbria, and today’s course is at Glencoyne Farm by Ullswater, featured in the book.

So it was up early, heading north through the Lakes and over the Kirkstone Pass to the farm. The morning was spent photographing life around the farm. It is a National Trust farm - at over 3100 hectares one of their largest - with S and C being tenants. They farm in an environmentally sustainable way - they have reduced their flock of Hardwick so that the land is not over grazed, but it still has to work as a business., I have never taken so many pictures of sheep (as well as herdwicks, white faced woodlands and a few swaledales also featured). There were also two fine stallions and belted galloway cattle.

The afternoon was spent climbing up Gowbarrow Fell - also part of the farm, winter grazing for the herdwicks - for views of Ullswater. My highlight was a flock of 300+ fieldfare. Too flighty to photograph. Shafts of light failed to make it through the gloom to the lake, but it was good nonetheless. Then it was back down the fell and along the valley to Aira Force and the tumbling waters flowing towards it.

Back in the dark over the Kirkstone Pass to Arnside, where I got fishy chips and mushy peas for the evenings dinner. I was tempted to eat them on the prom - fireworks were set up on the foreshore, awaiting a special train from Liverpool. It would stop on the viaduct, when all the fireworks would be let off. All to raise money for a village charity. But I decided I had had enough action for one day and needed to put my tired feet up for the night.

The main image is my first shot taken today, with my phone. Quite a few extras.