Meanygate meanderings (and beyond) - a farmed landscape

[Ed Sutton]

Afternoons aren't generally very good for finding work going on, so I was stuck with the usual 'landscape' options.



For the first time I saw sheep on the moss, but not easily accessible.



There had been drainage work taking place. Prior to this 'project' the draining of the moss lands and former Martin Mere had been a recurring subject for me.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Over 90 and still hoeing. Pity I chopped the tractors.



He said cheap Spanish lettuce imports have killed that side of the business.



Radish waste.



Dry on top, a bit of moisture under the surface after the thunderstorm on Monday..



Going home.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Well out of area this evening, more mere than moss, but drainage is a feature of all the flatlands round here.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Back on home turf for a walk this evening. I miss being able to get out there during working hours as all I get are pictures of 'stuff' after tea. Still, the sun was nice even if the wind was chilly.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Back out of area again. I once had an idea for a big project titled "Marsh, Moss and Mere" looking at the three local areas of drained land. It's one of those things that sounds good but which I lack the drive to complete. The mere is the most difficult to deal with as there is no public access - although when I had a ticket to fish the drains I could get to some of it legitimately. Probably because it was all under water until the 1700s there are next to no public footpaths, and none at all across the main body of the mere.



Once upon a time this, and a whole lot more, was below the surface of what some believe to have been the largest lake in England. Martin Mere. Now it is highly productive farmland.



This is the upper reaches of the main, and original, drain. In summer the level is kept high and used for irrigation. In winter it is often pumped low to prevent the mere returning in its original watery form.







One from the archives giving a hint of what could happen if the pumps were switched off.

Martin Mere

Martin Mere is a first-class, year-round wetland wildlife atrractions, with a diversity of waterbird exhibits. Situated in the beautiful countryside of central Lancashire in northwest England, the mere is a vast marsh that, until it was drained in 1700, was the largest lake in England. This...

books.google.co.uk

 

[Ed Sutton]

More random (pointless) evening 'landscapes'...





The beans are growing well.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Back to the mere this evening.



It's been very dry so when I passed some irrigation in action I stopped off to take a few (80 plus) snaps. Two types of irrigation at work.











I'm not a veg expert so I'm not sure what is being planted. Something oniony by the look of things. My guess is leeks as this is the area where a lot of them are grown in the sandy soil

 

[Ed Sutton]

Another evening wander round the moss. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Or maybe the other way round?

 

[ancient_mariner]

Really like your first shot - a quite different perspective from usual.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Really like your first shot - a quite different perspective from usual.

Thanks Toni. I wanted to show the cut leaves and the standing crop, and after trying wider shots I got in close and low. It was harder to get right than I thought it would be.

 

[Ed Sutton]

If it's 5:4 it's art...




If it's 3:2 it's documentary.

 

[Ed Sutton]

A bit of warm evening light yesterday. I must clean the front of my lens - and the sensor...









Then the sun dropped below the inevitable bank of cloud on the horizon.



To reappear through a gap when I'd moved on.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Well out of area this evening, over the other side of the river to another area of drained land. Neither a moss, a marsh nor a mere this place is called a finney. A quick Googles says the meaning is a piece of land surrounded by water, which fits as it lies between the junction of the Douglas and Yarrow rivers and was another area of marshy land. The crops grown here are mostly cereals. This gives it a different feel, as does the fact the tracks are at field level and there are one or two trees along the ditches. Although I like walking the tracks I find it boring to photograph, at least in a way that says anything about it as a worked landscape. Maybe I should s[pend more time there to get to grips with it?

Just a couple of shots to show the lie of the land. It's a little closer to the West Pennine Moors so they are more obvious than out on the moss and mere.



The line of trees to the left in the picture below border the railway. On the other side of which the land is more peaty and begins to rise gradually. (Edit to add: The other side of the railway line is called a 'moss'.) Again a slightly different feel to it. All difficult to get across photographically.



As might have become apparent in thse threads of mine I am becoming less interested in making pictures to 'impress' other photographers and more inclined to make pictures which accompany text. I still try to make the photos work as pictures, if that makes sense. Framing is all important to both include information and to make the composition satisfying.

I'm rambling again! Thanks for looking.

 

[Ed Sutton]

After yesterday I thought another visit to the finney was in order. Although I've been and photographed it before it was never with any clear intent. However today did remind me how little there is out there. At least at this time of year when crops are growing. Here are a few snaps. I don't think I'll be focusing on this area for now.

The same track as the second one above, but showing the bridge and drain. This gives a good idea of what the landscape is like.



The tracks are private roads but many are public footpaths. Same spot, different take on it.



But not all.



These concrete bridges are a feature of the finney.



All the tracks are straight as a die. Low level wires have bird scarers on them.



Two railway crossings have an associated house.



Over the tracks and straight on!



There's a house and some farm buildings at the next junction. But pretty uninteresting. I'd have gone further but I was getting hungry!

 

[superpippo]

As might have become apparent in thse threads of mine I am becoming less interested in making pictures to 'impress' other photographers and more inclined to make pictures which accompany text. I still try to make the photos work as pictures, if that makes sense. Framing is all important to both include information and to make the composition satisfying.

I think that this is the essence of your work.
I enjoy looking at the photos, which I appreciate are taken as photographic compositions, not necessarily as 'landscapes'.
I always find some interest in them (possibly because I am a little familiar with the area ) and particularly in your text.

There are some excellent landscape shots on the forum, but my interest in them is in passing, perhaps informing me as to how to approach the subjesct, exposure, colour saturation etc. Your shots intrigue me somehow.

This also applies to your sheep work.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I think that this is the essence of your work.
I enjoy looking at the photos, which I appreciate are taken as photographic compositions, not necessarily as 'landscapes'.
I always find some interest in them (possibly because I am a little familiar with the area ) and particularly in your text.

There are some excellent landscape shots on the forum, but my interest in them is in passing, perhaps informing me as to how to approach the subjesct, exposure, colour saturation etc. Your shots intrigue me somehow.

This also applies to your sheep work.

Thanks Alan. I think having familiarity or a connection with the subject of photographs makes them hold someone's attention longer.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I've photographed this greenhouse entrance before. This time there was something odd about the photograph, but I can't work out what. It's something to do with the view through the door's windows.



I liked the arrangement of shapes the trailers and stacked trays made, but I'm not sure about the light as I was shooting into the sun.



5:4 is even more arty in black and white...



For years there has been a campaign to have this single track road with a crumbling verge lined by ditches made passable to artics. If it was it would take a lot of heavy traffic away from the village centre as it would be a direct route to most of the big veg packers from the main road. The 'No Pasar' sign looks sort of home made!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Just a couple from a walk yesterday evening.



I couldn't find an angle to make this one work.

 

[sirch]

This time there was something odd about the photograph

The door seems incongruous being wood and shed-like on a metal greenhouse but perhaps it is that it is quite bright in the background through the windows which is a bit odd?

 

[Ed Sutton]

The door seems incongruous being wood and shed-like on a metal greenhouse but perhaps it is that it is quite bright in the background through the windows which is a bit odd?

I think it is the view through the door's windows that makes it looks strange somehow.

 

[Ed Sutton]

A new toy arrived a later than hoped for today so I took it for a walk this afternoon. The rape has been harvested.



The pile of 'bog oaks' grew earlier in the year.



Contrasty veg.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Growing.



Big field of raked hay ready for rowing up.



"How are you?"

"Ask me at seven o'clock when I've finished for the day."

 

[Ed Sutton]

Watering the veg on the mere.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Familiar subjects, different light (on some).

 

[Ed Sutton]

A quick drive round the mere area this evening. The nights are drawing in fast now. I don't know what I was hoping to see, so ended up with a few 'nothing' shots. The sky was nice, but changing rapidly.


I like the feeling of being out on the mere but it's a difficult place to photograph, as are all the flatlands, in a 'landscape' style. Not that I'm any good at that anywhere! So I do it my way. Which usually means including some man-made objects or structures in the picture. The break in the sky just wouldn't align itself where I wanted it...

A detail of a bird scarer on the wire.

 

[Ed Sutton]

The last of the lettuce.

 

[Ed Sutton]

The dry hot summer is a fading memory.

 

[Ed Sutton]

More rain has fallen.

 

[Ed Sutton]

When I got my first 'proper' camera back in 1976 it was pictures of frosty things that I first remember getting disappointing black and white prints of back from Boots. I still like taking photos on such days. So much so I went out fairly early the other day.
Today I went out late. Too late really and not for long.





This section of hedge never sees the sun at this time of year.

 

[sirch]

I like the frosty photos, I've never got any myself that I am happy with but then I am partial to my bed in the mornings

 

[Ed Sutton]

I am partial to my bed in the mornings

Me too. Hence there being more afternoon pictures.

 

[Boots]

I love frosty mornings too.

Like your second and fourth pictures best.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Like your second and fourth pictures best.

I like the fourth best. And it's one I nearly didn't bother taking.

 

[superpippo]

I think a good set of shots illustrating the winter landscape in you location.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I think a good set of shots illustrating the winter landscape in you location.

Thanks. It looks a bit different now, but the roads were too treacherous to walk and out on then main moss road the other day there was an overturned car in a ditch! I'm not venturing far until there's a thaw.

 

[Ed Sutton]

The thaw has arrived. When the rain let up I put my wellies on and went for a wander. Not a lot to see as it's not been cultivating weather and there aren't many veggies left to be picked/cut but I usually find something.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Tried a different route yesterday, but left it too late.

I like the idea of this one but had to crop it heavily to make a picture.



By the time I was close to where I wanted to be my hoped for subject was heading away so I turned round and retraced my steps. The sun was very bright as it got low.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Every sunset is different.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Another late visit. The pump must have run out of diesel. It will have been working a lot recently.



Another wet field.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Out on the 'other' meanygate this afternoon. I have a mild obsession with photographing leeks. No idea why.
Leek growing might become a project in its own right if I can kick the sheep habit!