Wigtwizzle - Norman Smith's Travel Blog.: halifax

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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

A magical and surreal Ogden Clough

The weather wasn't too good and deteriorated even further the nearer I got to Ogden Water. It had been a still morning and I had hoped for the low cloud to lift and for the sun to maybe break through. This would have given me some great light to work with plus a chance for some reflection shots but it wasn't to be.

Actually it would have been so easy not to go out at all and just stay at home and have a lazy day but sometimes its good to push yourself and work in more challenging conditions. If the photos work then its a bonus, if they don't then you haven't really lost anything; plus you will hopefully learn from your mistakes for the next time. Also, good or bad, you are getting a bit of exercise and keeping the grey matter ticking over at the same.

I've been in the Clough many times and in all sorts of weather. Today though, the snow turned it in to a rather magical and surreal place which gave it an atmosphere I have never experienced on my previous visits. With it being so cold and never getting any sun, all the snow was sticking to the branches of the and leaves on the trees, rocks and grasses; this made it as near to being a winter wonderland as you could get. I'm not too sure about all of the compositions though. Some are good, some are not so good and some are poor but, as in anything you do in life, you only learn by trial and error.

Before going back to the car, I walked up on to the golf course which was a total white out and bloody freezing. It can be a pretty bleak place even in the middle of summer as most of the holes are over 1000ft above sea level but when the snow and mist are down, its hard to imagine that there is a golf course there at all.

Anyway I took a few random shots up there and then beat a hasty retreat back down to the car. In ten minutes I was back home, the heating was on, a warm cuppa was in my hand and I was sat there feeling chuffed at having made the effort and got out. My only reservation was that I didn't take a zoom lens with me which meant I couldn't pick out closer and more intimate scenes so that is something to consider in future.

A frozen Ogden Water

Ogden Plantation

Ogden Water

Ogden Plantation

Ogden Clough

Ogden Plantation

Ogden Clough

Snow on grasses, Ogden Clough

Ogden Water

Skirden Clough

Perimeter of Ogden Plantation

The 18th, Halifax Golf Course

In the rough, Halifax Golf Course

Withens New Road

A cold and misty Ogden water

Winter at Ogden Nature Reserve

Had a couple of hours to spare in the morning so I drove up the road to Odgen Water Country Park to stretch the legs. The crowds and dog walkers usually follow the well used track around the reservoir but I much prefer to get off the beaten track as its much more interesting and more or less doubles the length of the walk.

The hidden valley of Ogden Clough is always worth a visit and seems a million miles from the reservoir whereas in reality, it is only about half a mile away. It's the same with the plantation as well; with a little extra effort you can be in the woods and far away from the madding crowds. A little more effort still and you can then be up on Ovenden Moor where it can be really bleak and windswept.

Not today though; it was bitterly cold in the plantation but warmed up considerably once I had left its confines and was out on the open moorland. With one eye on the clock, I cut back down through the woods to Chester's Bridge and then completed the circuit of the reservoir with plenty of time to spare.

A very enjoyable and refreshing walk.