Views Mugs

Neptune's Lampshade Number of views as of 18th March 2017 = 340. A groyne marker on the beach at Canford Cliffs, between Poole and Bournemouth (Dorset, England). Stone or wooden groynes are placed at regular intervals along the coastline here to interrupt the water flow and prevent excessive movement of sand, basically to stop the beach being washed away by the tides. At high tide, the groynes are normally submerged and markers are placed like this one to mark the ends of the structure. It's quite unusual for the tide to be so far out as to reveal the whole of the marker. Date: 29th September 2012.

Middle England Number of views as of 13th June 2019 = 390. A rural scene in Middle England betwixt the Cotswold villages of Broadway (Worcestershire) and Willersey (Gloucestershire). Date: 31st October 2014. Click here to visit my Trees collection.

Cannon and Balls Number of views as of 13th August 2018 = 790. Rousse Tower is on the north coast of Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands. The tower was one of several built in the 19th century to defend the island against possible invasion from France. Date: 28th August 2014. View my Channel Islands collection here. View my Channel Islands calendar here.

Wells Cathedral Number of views as of 3rd June 2018 = 410. The superb west front of Wells Cathedral (Somerset, England). The present cathedral dates from 1175 to 1490, and replaced an earlier church on the same site built in AD 705. Date: 28th May 2015. Click here to view my Somerset collection.

Lulworth Castle Number of views as of 8th April 2018 = 700. Lulworth Castle (East Lulworth, Dorset, England) was built in the early 17th century as a hunting lodge by Thomas Howard, 3rd Viscount Howard of Bindon. In 1641 it was purchased by Humphrey Weld as part of the Lulworth Estate for the princely sum (in those days) of £30,000, and the Estate has remained in the hands of the Weld family to this day. A serious fire in 1929 raged for 3 days and completely destroyed the interior of the Castle along with the roof, and the Castle lay in ruin for over 60 years. In the 1990s, however, thanks to funding from English Heritage, the stonework was restored, the Castle re-roofed, and the building is now open to the public on most days except for...

*The Bramble Bush Bay* Number of views as of 19th June 2018 = 840. Otherwise known as the Sandbanks Chain Ferry. This car ferry operates across the entrance to Poole Harbour (Dorset, England) between Sandbanks and Shell Bay, cutting approximately 25 miles off a return journey between Bournemouth and Swanage. Operated by the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company, this diesel-hydraulic powered vessel came into service in 1994, becoming the 4th ferry to operate the route since 1923. Propulsion is achieved by drive wheels pulling along the chains. Its maximum capacity is 48 cars and the occasional double decker bus. The crossing time is only 4 minutes but beware of queues at peak times. A black 'ball' is raised o...

Lulworth Castle Garden Number of views as of 13th June 2017 = 570. This shot of Lulworth Castle (Dorset, England) shows the south-facing walled garden. Rebuilding of the castle (following a disastrous fire in 1929) was part funded by English Heritage. More information on the history of the castle can be found here. Date: 6th May 2013.

I don't often take photos of man made scenes - but I couldn't resist these huge pylons, striding across the landscape! This is the main electricity supply for Melbourne from the LaTrobe Valley - crossing Churchill National Park in Victoria, Australia.

View from a kite over Houbie bay.

Denver Colorado Skyline at Night

Port Erin Number of views as of 25th July 2017 = 480. One from the archives! A twilight shot of the lovely resort and beach at Port Erin on the Isle of Man. Shot on Fujichrome slide film using my old Pentax ME Super. Date: 26th August 1995.

These birds take no prisoners, dive bombing visitors, even seen stealing a whole pie.

Prisoner of conscience (POC) is a term coined by Peter Benenson in a 28 May 1961 article ("The Forgotten Prisoners") for the London Observer newspaper. Most often associated with the human rights organisation Amnesty International, the term can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. It also refers to those who have been imprisoned and/or persecuted for the non-violent expression of their conscientiously held beliefs.

Wagons Roll... Number of views as of 20th August 2017 = 950. Old wagons on a farm near Tarrant Keynston, Dorset, England. Date: 17th October 2010.

Upside Down View of Tree and Sky

Wight Light Number of views as of 18th October 2018 = 880. The old joke was: "What's brown and smelly and comes steaming out of Cowes?". Answer: The Isle Of Wight Ferry! Well, I'm pleased to inform you that the ferries operating on the Lymington to Yarmouth route these days are not brown and smelly at all. The 30 minute route is served by three new vessels (introduced in 2009) - Wight Light, Wight Sun and Wight Sky. Wight Light is pictured here heading towards Lymington. Taken from Wight Sun heading towards Yarmouth. Built in Croatia, the new ferries were designed exclusively for the route, are more fuel efficient than the 35 year old vessels they replaced and offer better passenger facilities and comfort. Date: 27th October 2009.

Prisoner of conscience (POC) is a term coined by Peter Benenson in a 28 May 1961 article ("The Forgotten Prisoners") for the London Observer newspaper. Most often associated with the human rights organisation Amnesty International, the term can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. It also refers to those who have been imprisoned and/or persecuted for the non-violent expression of their conscientiously held beliefs.

drawing of the silhouette of the avatar Aang while meditating

Gylen Castle Number of views as of 18th October 2018 = 780. Gylen Castle, also known as "The Castle of Fountains" is situated on the Island of Kerrera, off the coast of Argyll, Scotland, and was built by the clan MacDougall in 1587. Gylen sits on top of a rocky promontory, facing south west, with fine views looking out over the Firth of Lorn and across to the Island of Mull. There is a small ferry which takes passengers across to the island from a spot just a couple of miles down the coast from Oban. From there it's a 3 mile walk (6 miles round trip) to Gylen. There are no roads on the island, just footpaths and tracks. Decent footwear is strongly advised. Date: 18th August 2008. Click here to see Dunollie Castle

Colorado Landscape

The magic hour - Sunrise over the Capertee Valley, NSW, Australia. The Capertee Valley is the second largest enclosed canyon in the world; not as deep as the Grand Canyon but, wider and longer it is a living canyon of majestic beauty. I'm lucky its in my backyard. Its definitely a magic place to visit or view from Pearsons Lookout at Capertee.

A view along Norman Beach at Tidal River. The lack of people made the footprints stand out. Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia.

Royal Mail Coach Number of views as of 26th February 2018 = 1280. A replica of the London-Holyhead Royal Mail Coach, seen here with four horse team, at the New Forest Show, near Brockenhurst, Hampshire, England. In the late 18th century, these mail coaches would cover the 261 mile 'Irish Mail' route between the city of London and the port of Holyhead (Anglesey, Wales), in approximately 27 hours. At Holyhead, the mail continued its journey to Dublin by boat. The advent of the railways saw the rapid decline of the mail coach in the 1840s and 1850s. Date: 28th July 2011.

*Bosham* Number of views as of 13th August 2018 = 420. Bosham (pronounced Bozzam) is a picturesque coastal village situated on an inlet of Chichester Harbour, in the southern county of West Sussex, England. It's an idyllic spot, with the 10th century Holy Trinity Church, never far from view. Motorists must beware however, because at high tide the sea comes right into the old village, flooding the lower road around the harbour and with it several car parking spaces. Viewers will be delighted to watch the hilarious "Bosham Car Wash - the Movie":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2QclcT6F-I on YouTube! Date: 26th August 2013.

Splendid Isolation Number of views as of 23rd April 2018 = 800. St Alban's or St Aldhelm's Head, the southern-most point on the Isle of Purbeck coast, seen here from nearby Swyre Head. Date: 2nd April 2008. Click here for a closer look at the cottages on the cliff top

Down Hill All The Way Number of views as of 14th October 2018 = 3025. Another shot of Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset, England. Possibly the most photographed thoroughfare in Dorset. Location for the 1973 Hovis advert - you can find it on YouTube! Date: 27th July 2008. Click here for a view looking up Gold Hill

St John's, Spetisbury Number of views as of 19th January 2017 = 500. Regular visitors to my portfolio will know that I enjoy taking pictures of local (and not so local) churches. The county of Dorset in the south of England has a wealth of them. The church of St John the Baptist, in the village of Spetisbury (on the A350 Poole to Blandford road) is another fine example. Parts of the church, including the tower (which contains 6 bells) date from Norman times, though much of the church was rebuilt in the 1850s. Date: 17th October 2010. Click on this link to see my other ecclesiastical works!

When The Going Gets Tough... Number of views as of 12th December 2017 = 700.... the tough get going! Fun & games at the 2010 Great Dorset Steam Fair, Tarrant Hinton, near Blandford, Dorset, England. Four traction engines pull a low loader, carrying a railway engine. Date: 4th September 2010.

Cygnet, Snape Maltings Number of views as of 10th June 2017 = 800. Cygnet is a 16 ton 'Spritsail' barge, built in 1881 at Frindsbury, Kent, England. She is shown here moored on the River Alde at Snape Maltings in Suffolk, East Anglia. Date: 29th July 2013.

Wiltshire Landscape Number of views as of 3rd November 2016 = 200. View from Cley Hill (Corsley, near Longleat, Wiltshire, England) on a murky, overcast day in April. The striking patterns in the planted field below were what caught my eye. Date: 27th April 2014.

Driftwood, Keyhaven Jetty Number of views as of 19th October 2016 = 240. Keyhaven is a small fishing village on the south coast of England, between Milford-on-Sea and Lymington, Hampshire. A mile or so north-east of the village, this iron-clad jetty juts out into the Solent, with great views across to the Isle of Wight and Hurst Castle further to the south-west. If you look carefully beyond the jetty, you can just see the Isle of Wight ferry, which crosses from Lymington to Yarmouth and back. Date: 16th March 2014.

St Peter Port, Guernsey Number of views as of 8th June 2017 = 430. St Peter Port (or St Pierre Port) is the capital of the Channel Island of Guernsey and is also the island's main port. Steep, narrow streets lead up from the busy harbour to the town that has existed here for at least 2000 years. Castle Cornet guards the entrance to the harbour where the ferries carry visitors from the English ports of Poole, Portsmouth and Weymouth, St Malo in France and the neighbouring islands of Jersey, Herm and Sark. Date: 22nd August 2014. View my Channel Islands collection here. View my Channel Islands calendar here.

Silbury Hill Number of views as of 5th June 2017 = 175. Silbury Hill, near Avebury (Wiltshire, England) is the tallest, prehistoric, man-made mound in Europe. It is similar in size to the Egyptian pyramids, though its purpose remains a mystery as no evidence of it being a burial site has yet to be found. Thought to have been built around 2400 BC, the structure is approximately 30 metres high, and its proximity to other prehistoric sites at Avebury, West Kennet and Stonehenge suggests that the sites may have had cultural connections. Access to the site is currently prohibited to prevent erosion, but I remember climbing it in the early 1980s. Date: 15th February 2016. Click here to view other images of Wiltshire.

Silbury Too Number of views as of 18th September 2017 = 270. A second shot of the amazing Silbury Hill, near Avebury (Wiltshire, England), the tallest, prehistoric, man-made mound in Europe. Similar in size to the Egyptian pyramids, its purpose remains a mystery as no evidence of it being a burial site has yet to be found. Thought to have been built around 2400 BC, the structure is approximately 30 metres high, and its proximity to other prehistoric sites at Avebury, West Kennet and Stonehenge suggests that the sites may have had cultural connections. Date: 15th February 2016. Click here to view other images of Wiltshire.

Swanage Pier & Ballard Down Number of views as of 28th April 2018 = 310. Looking across Swanage Bay (Dorset, England) past the pier to Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks on Dorset's Jurassic Coast. Date: 30th December 2014.

Pulpit Rock Number of views as of 13th June 2019 = 340. Pulpit Rock is a coastal feature near the southern tip of the Isle of Portland (Dorset, England). The artificial stack of rock was left in the 1870s after a natural arch was cut away by quarrymen at Portland Bill quarry. It was intentionally left in place as a quarrying relic. The rock can be climbed but of course at the climber's risk. Date: 10th November 2013.