Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: beck

Showing posts with label beck. Show all posts

Middle and Lower Gelt Wood

Gelt Woods are situated a few miles from Brampton and have a long and varied history which goes back to Roman Times. On the path down from Middle Gelt Wood to the riverside path in Low Gelt gorge, you pass a large quarry which the Romans used in order to get stone for Hadrian's Wall. The quarry is home to the Roman “Written Rock of Gelt”. Dating back to 207 AD, and it records the quarry workings of Roman soldiers belonging to the Second Legion.

The River Gelt is also rich in legends of bloody battles, cattle rustling and of a sheep thief who fell from a crag to his death while trying to escape his pursuers. Also, a local gamekeeper called Abraham Bird supposedly cut Abraham’s Cave into the red sandstone of the quarry cliffs in 1814 on the orders of the Lord of Hayton Manor, which was probably used to catch poachers in the act, but there have been local legends about other occupants, including a World War I deserter and an escaped convict.

Brampton Parish Council acquired Lower Gelt gorge in 1978 and has since been trying to encourage wildlife by leaving dead trees for insects, woodpeckers and roosting bats and by removing conifers and beech and replacing them with native broadleaf species.

The walk I did was a circular one, going up through Middle Gelt, down past the Roman Quarry to the River Gelt and then following the riverside path back to where I started. The river is never wide, but I should imagine that parts of it could be quite dangerous. In a fair few places, it strikes a remarkable resemblance to The Strid on the River Wharfe at Bolton Abbey, where fast flowing waters rush through narrow channels.

I should imagine the woods will be quite spectacular in autumn, so I will have to pay them another visit over the next few weeks. The more alert viewers of the blog, will already have noticed that the photos have been uploaded in reverse order, the first ones are of Lower Gelt gorge and the River Gelt and the remainder are of Middle Gelt Woods.

River Gelt

Middle Gelt Woods

Ogden Water Country Park

I hadn't been to Ogden water for a couple of years so thought I would pay it a visit and try out my new 85 mm lens. I arrived quite early so managed to get a parking spot by the roadside.

I didn't really get any decent photo opportunities until I got into Odgen Clough with its many small cascades, mossy rocks and fallen trees. Unfortunately the deeper I got in to the Clough, the icier it got which eventually forced me to turn back as the last thing I wanted was to have a fall whilst holding the camara.

I was quite pleased with the way it performed, mainly because it let me take handheld close up slow shutter speed shots. I found that I could easily use a shutter speed of one eighth of a second which gave good enough water motion without it being overexposed.

The next time I use it, I will try it out taking close-up shots, I believe its minimum focusing distance is two feet six inches, which should be ideal for flower photography. For anything closer, I still have a 60 mm macro lens.

I was surprised how good the paths were as many of my local paths (plus the paths at St Ives) are very muddy due to the weather and increased footfall. I did leave the main path and walk up in to the woods, partly to get away from the crowds but mainly for variety because I find the path around the reservoir rather flat and boring whereas the woodland path has many ups and downs.

By the time I got back to the car, it was getting very busy, so I think I picked the right time of day to visit. All shots below are taken with that lens.

Woodland Walk

Moss on wall

Woodland Walk

Ogden Clough

Woodland Walk

Ogden Clough

Woodland Walk

Ogden Clough

Woodland Walk

Weir, Ogden Water

Woodland Walk

Goit Stock Wood and Waterfall

This little gem is on my doorstep and I’m embarrassed to say that this was only the second time I had visited, the first time being about five years ago when Sal introduced me to the area. What has put me off in recent times is it’s sudden popularity, it seems to have grown enormously since lock-down was eased. However a rainy midweek, October morning was never going to be busy and I only saw a handful of people the entire time I was there.

The autumn colours were just beginning to appear but I reckon I was a week or two too early to see them at their best. However the water flow in Harden Beck and over the falls was just about perfect for photography so that more than compensated. The beck and surrounding woods are very enclosed which makes it easy to see why the locals have always know it as The Hidden Valley. It has also been designated an SEGI (Site of Ecological and Geological Importance) by Bradford Council.

During Bradford’s industrial past, there were six mills on Harden Beck; (from upstream down) Hewenden Mill, Bents Mill, Hallas Bridge Mill, Goit Stock Mill, Harden Bridge Mill and Beckfoot Mill. Hewenden, Bents and Beckfoot mills have all since been converted into private accommodation buildings. Hallas Bridge Mill was destroyed by fire. Goit Stock Mill was later utilised as a café and ballroom but it too burnt down (in 1927) with no reports of casualties. Its chimney and flue still exist, with the chimney being built on the northern ridge to aid the dispersal of smoke from the narrow valley. Harden Bridge Mill is still in private use as a printers. As you walk along the narrow wooded valley it is easy to imagine how the place must have been in those times.

With the falls being situated in the botton of an enclosed ravine, they tend to ice over during very cold spells, hopefully that will happen this coming winter. If they do, I'll be there to capture them!