Herb Riddle's photos

A different view of reflections on this very attractive river in Kendal. The town is sometimes called ‘the old grey town’ because of so many of its buildings are constructed using the local Lake District slate. We see in the reflections a touch of that. Enjoy full screen

As the winds whip up the waves, these dogs and their masters enjoy the exercise in this fresh air here at the tiny cove of Chapel Porth in Cornwall. Enjoy full screen

It’s a cold wet September day and I am above Birnbeck Island at Weston Super Mare, with a view of this sadly dilapidated Birnbeck Pier. The retro sepia look, I believe, is quite in keeping in what we have here today. See PiP for alternative view. The pier, designed by Eugenius Birch first opened in 1867. Steam-ship trips were once taken from here. We see clearly the Weston Lifeboat Station that was housed here from the late 1880s. “Over the years there have been many plans to restore this iconic and once beautiful pier but they have come to nothing. However, there are now plans afoot to save the pier and eventually rehouse the lifeboat station here.” Enjoy full screen

A wet September day is quite in keeping with the pier and Island as we see it today. Of course the general public are not allowed to set foot onto the now dangerous long pier and Island. See following photo for Island detail. Best full screen.

As rainfall comes in over the sea we see rainbows come and go in the distance. This is actually looking over Trevaunace Cove towards Cligga Head. Bawden Rocks are sometimes called Man and His Man! Moments after taking this photo I took the preceding photo on here looking in the opposite direction. Enjoy full screen.

Seen on St Agnes Head just as the rains started to hit us. I do love to see nature’s sun rays in this way and the sea bird makes it for me. The hills in the distance are towards St Ives in Cornwall. Enjoy full screen

In October I posted a photo of the famous Godrevy Lighthouse in Cornwall (see pip) where I mentioned we had seen grey seals around the rocks too. Here then you see a collage of just three of the photos that I snapped there. The bottom two, showing the same mother and her pup. I was very pleased to catch the one with the pup suckling its mother, which I think is quite rare to see. The tide was out as I took these from a high cliff vantage point some way from the seals, and I imagine it would have been quite a different picture with the sea being in. Enjoy full screen.

Returning south from Handa Island to Lochinver we get the chance to stop the car and stretch our legs. We are in fact just a little higher than Kylesku Bridge but the landscape looks quite different here. Best viewed full size.

We make a special journey to cross the headland of Godrevy Point so that we can see this lighthouse from up close. We are on the ‘South west Coast’ path but we can also see it from the hill near our cottage some miles away. Built on Godrevy Island in St Ives Bay, Cornwall. It marks the infamous Stones reef which has been a hazard to shipping for centuries. Established in 1859 and designed by James Walker. It has a white 26 metre octagonal tower and was made famous by Virginia Woolfe in her novel ‘To the Lighthouse’, though she places it somewhere else. Enjoy full screen.

We are here on the end of Smeaton’s Pier at St Ives in Cornwall. On the right side of the pier some fishing boats are tied up, as witnessed by their waiting lobster pots. To the left is the open Atlantic. The lighthouse was established in 1890. Smeaton was the civil engineer in charge of the building of this pier, built in 1767. He was well known for being commissioned to build many canal, harbour and bridge works but for me his most famous work was ‘Smeaton’s Lighthouse’, later renamed Eddystone Lighthouse. In building that, he evolved the stone dovetailing method of keeping the tower immensely strong against raging seas and wind, a system that was to be employed in most rocky island lighthouses until the present day. An even older lighthouse still stands at the other end of this pier, established in 1830. See Pips. Enjoy full size.

A look across the sands at low tide here at St Ives.

Last Friday I showed a photo taken in my local valley and so here is another, taken on the same walk a mile or so downstream. The river runs just to the left of this fence and quite often there is a horse or two here grazing on the grass. The smooth hillside is also the location of another Ipernity posted shot of our local fox’s den. See PiPs. Best full screen. Have a great weekend.

A January walk along the old railway line contour of Chew Valley here in Greenfield. The line was used to haul stone from nearby quarries in order to build the high Chew Reservoir and associated tunnels from 1907 to 1912 (see pips). The misty rock peak is actually the top of 'Indians Head'. Note, this is excellent dog-walking country :) Enjoy full size

A little scene that grew on me (no pun intended) as we walked along what we call the Uppermill Canal some little time back. I liked the greenish colour cast of the wood harmonizing with the leaves to the stone and water. One for the wall and fence fans. Best full screen. HFF, enjoy the weekend. Herb

Another chance to see this iconic Cornish tin mine. We are on our way down the twisty coastal path to the lower part you can see here where we will walk further along the ‘South West Coastal Path’ towards Chapel Porth. Its windy and the waves are quite choppy as can be seen. See PiP for one of my earlier photos and descriptions of this mine. Best viewed full screen

We are back in Cornwall, just slightly south of the famous St Agnes head and its Wheal Coates mine. Heading down to this tiny cove with its busy little car park. Time for a sit down, especially for walkers coming up. Enjoy full screen.

Here we see just a couple of the puffins around these high cliffs, of which this is the top. You can clearly see the holes where they build a small burrow to lay their eggs and bring up their young. The PiP link shows one having just landed on this high rock, clearly showing the makeup of its wings. The other PiP, shows a puffin taken on Scotlands North coast, Duncansby Head in 2014. ‘Puffins are unmistakable birds with their black back and white underparts, distinctive black head with large pale cheeks and their tall, flattened, brightly-coloured bill. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. Its comical appearance is heightened by its red and black eye-markings and bright orange legs and is one of the world's favourite birds. With half of the UK population at only a few sites it is a Red List species. They eat fish, especially sandeels.’ Wiki & RSPB.org.uk Enjoy full screen

A photo of a puffin having just landed on this high rock, clearly showing the makeup of its wings.