The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Yorkshire Dales

Last week Maggie, Meg and I stayed in a cottage in the Yorkshire Dales. It's a stunningly beautiful area of the country and a place we've returned to again and again. And at this time of the year, with the rich autumn leaves, it can just take your breath away.

(click on the images for larger versions)


Swaledale

This time we stayed in the small village of Reeth, nestled on the side of the Swaledale valley.


Reeth

Part of the enjoyment for me is driving over the tops of the hills along narrow, winding and sometimes very steep, roads


Narrow country lanes

You realise life travels at a very different pace in a place like this. Rural, remote and a sense of deep time moving slowly


Tree and walls

On one of our drives we came across an old lead mine that had been abandoned back in Victorian times


Old lead mine

I went back out there one night when the skies were clear to see if I could get some interesting star photography. A bright moon meant the milky way wasn't as noticable as I would have liked, but it was amazingly atmospheric moving around these old, remote abandoned buildings at night.


At night

One of the other advantages of visiting Yorkshire is it's only a couple of hours' drive from my father who, because of the distance, I just don't see enough of.

At 79 he's not so keen on getting his photo taken - strongly disliking the whole getting old thing. Inside he's still in his 20s and I think he still gets a shock everytime he looks in the mirror. However, I managed to convince him to let Maggie take a photo of the both of us.


Son and Father

Maggie says it's not difficult to see the family resemblance...

8 comments

Allen Capoferri said...

Really beautiful photographs, Kim.

Kim Ayres said...

Thanks Allen :)

hope said...

My first thought was..."is this a REAL place?" It looks like an illustration for a book of fairy tales. (And yes, I want them told to me by the gentleman storyteller who lives at the edge of the woods....I can't remember his name, but I'll never forget that face).

I understand how your Dad feels...especially when it comes to mirrors. But he had nothing to fear...nice looking pair of gentlemen Maggie captured.

Kim Ayres said...

Hope - the Yorkshire Dales are incredibly picturesque and relatively unspoiled by modernity - it does feel like stepping back in time.

When I was looking at my photos and deciding which ones to put on the blog, I knew I had to have ones showing the old stone walls - as it's not something my friends across the pond will ever see much of.

I spent a year in Canada when I as a student, and one of the things that struck me was the lack of stone walls and hedges. Fields were divided up by fences only. It's obviously a history thing - the hedges and walls were laid down many centuries ago and American history from the European settlers onwards doesn't go back far enough

Pat said...

Bitter sweet seeing the lovely Dales photographs. Al and I used to escape there for weeks at a time.
I wondered if that was your Dad but then thought he looked too young and must be one of your music or photo buddies. Looks great to me:)

When we were doing our many, many drives Al used to be paranoid about the walls certain they would bulge out and mark the car:)

maurcheen said...

Another place to visit. You look very like yer Da, but like me, I bet you have your Ma's eyes. 😀

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Wide open, green space...my kind of place. Your photos are huuuuge and breathtaking.

Look at the two young men, brothers :-)

Gosh, I feel so happy to be back on the blog with nice behaving Internet.

Kim Ayres said...

Pat - It's one of the differences between narrow roads in England and narrow roads in Scotland. In England the walls are very often right next to the road - very unforgiving. Most narrow roads in Scotland, however, have a bit of a verge before any wall. After 28 years in Scotland I get paranoid driving narrow English roads too :)

Maurcheen - well worth the visit. And yes, I do have my mother's eyes :)

Guyana-Gyal - My dad might now quite look his age, but brothers? I'm doubting your internet connection... ;)

All content copyright of Kim Ayres. Powered by Blogger.