Dereliction

It's not often I do black and white but I had no choice. Leaving the house without checking the level of my battery, or a spare in the car, is never a good idea.

I'm embarrassed to say that, although I know the history well and it's less than a couple of miles away, I had never been in to see the derelict Gunpowder Mills in Chilworth. It's one of those things you promise yourself to do but never get round to. What a surprise! I'm not going to tell you about them this evening, other than that they were established in 1626 and worked incessantly until their closure in 1920.

The Mill stands derelict and a National Monument. Nature is taking over and I was left speachless for the beauty that surrounded the remains of the old buildings and the millstones. Lat night saw more torrential rain and much of the area was flooded which surely added to the spectacle.

This is one of the remaining rooms in the mill, flooded and overrun by ivy, ferns and lichens. I only had three shots before the battery ran out. Over exposed and out of focus, this is the best of the three but it couldn't be presented as it was. Now recovered/obliterated in photoshop... so I'll go back tomorrow with a tripod and a battery.

Isn't it wonderful to find a magical place on your doorstep?