The Blight of the Countryside

Brocket Hall Estate is a fine example of 18th century parkland in the English county of Hertfordshire. The stately home in its grounds had been residence for two British prime ministers. The expansive land around the hall with its ancient and exotic trees had been later developed into two championship golf courses. Both now carry the names of these politicians - The Melbourne golf course and The Palmerston golf course. However, even this famous luxury resort had been affected by a terrible blight in British countryside: illegal dumping of waste.

Plate I

Last year on Christmas Eve I joined my friends for an enjoyable walk in English countryside. Part of the route, which is also public right of way, was leading through Lea valley and Brocket Hall Estate. In the woodland called Flint Bridge Plantation, visible from public footpath we glimpsed rubbish covering vast area of the forest floor. The extent of waste spread in this woodland was completely incomprehensible. We recently walked the same route again and seeing the damage to environment repeatedly I decided that I need to document this area photographically.

Landscape painting and to a large extent landscape photography is dominated by “pretty pictures”. However, some artistic endeavour is devoted to depicting landscapes during or after human interventions. Such representations are certainly not idealised views with ability to enhance positive emotional states. Quite the contrary. But these perspectives should inform the public, document the scope of some problems or critique systems in our civilisation.

Quick search online revealed that this particular fly-tipping incident happened here over several days more than five years ago (in 2018). In the BBC article it was estimated that there is 400 tonnes of rubbish on one acre of land with potential cost of a clean up at £80 000. Even though the Fly Tipping on Private Land Pilot Fund had been introduced in 2018 unfortunately this fund is not available for private parks and estates. It may be that the cost of much needed clean up operation is really prohibitive but the fact is the waste is still here and causing inevitable damage in this place.

This is however, not an isolated incident. The whole UK is affected by actions of unscrupulous individuals or companies illegally disposing of rubbish to fields, forests or streets. According to organisation Countryside Alliance, “there was over one million incidents of fly-tipping recorded in 2021/2022 alone. This is equivalent of 124 incidents of fly-tipping every hour.” DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) recorded in the same time 37 000 incidents involving ‘tipper lorry load’ size with the cost of clearance £10.7 million.

What could be the cause of this problem? Well, it could partially be the official policies themselves as in 2017 some UK county councils very much increased the prices of bulky waste dumping and at the same time the construction and commercial waste was being banned from council recycling centres as more rigorous segregation prior to dumping was introduced. In other words, tighter regulation around correct waste disposal may have led to massive increase in fly-tipping. There was also one more occurrence that affected how the UK deals with its waste. In January 2018 China banned import of waste from other countries. Until that time it was standard practice to export various waste there not only for the UK but also for other European countries, the USA, Australia and Japan. According to article The waste ban in China: what happened next? Assessing the impact of new policies on the waste management sector in China written in Environmental Geochemistry and Health (Na song, Iain McLellan, Wei Liu, Zhenghua Wang & Andrew Hursthouse) “One of the main reasons for the ban of waste imports is the serious environmental contamination and the associated human health derived from handling Waste electrical and Electronic equipment (WEEE) imports.” The export of waste, also known as global plastic waste trade, continued to other Asian countries like Malaysia. And in a lot of instances according to Greenpeace organisation which commissioned the report into this practice, it was being dumped and burned illegally. Then the export of waste from the UK found different routes to different countries, some actually in Europe (like for example Netherlands or Poland).

Returning to the forest with the tonnes of waste on the forest floor the conclusion for the natural world is that it had been contaminated by various inorganic materials which have a lasting negative impact on local ecology and wildlife. As it is very hard to decompose it makes the top soil layer impenetrable by new plant roots. The water from rains is also retained by the waste and is not draining properly down into the soil. Absorption of minerals that normally end up in the soil decreases and as a result the number of microorganisms that make the soil fertile declines.

The public naturally call for larger penalties or longer sentences for people committing these crimes and that may be a good deterrent but at the same time that would only be addressing these issues partially. What is also needed is change in policies, perhaps with incentives and streamlining the systems in dealing with waste disposal in general. These days the local problem can be a global problem and vice versa.

Plate II

Plate III

Plate IV

Plate V

Plate VI

Plate VII

Plate VIII

Plate IX

Plate X

Plate N

Treak Cliff - The Stream of Time

Looking down on the streams of vehicles moving through the Winnats Pass in Derbyshire I can hear only a slight humming noise from all the car’s engines produced below. Here at my level above the gorge, sheep’s bleat is still more dominant clamor. This part of the Peak District National Park in England is busy with traffic, especially in summer months when tourists come over here to enjoy the hills and numerous karst caverns inside them.

The name Winnats Pass (now also known as Arthur’s way) is derived from words ‘wind gates’. Its highest point is 383 meters and comes with impressive maximum gradient of 28 %. Such steep climb was the reason that this road was not being used as much as the nearby road designated A625 which went around the Treak Cliff hill. Over the 20th century, this road, routing on eastern side of Mam Tor (517m), had been subject to countless repairs due to many landslides on the flank of this hill. And because of the constant problems with these landslides, this road was finally closed in 1979.

View from Mam Tor on Treak Cliff with the entrance to Blue John Cavern

The view from the side of Mam Tor to its foot reveals the extent of landslides in more clarity. The hills are still ‘breathing’; they never stay still as the geological processes are in slow-moving action. And thanks to geological processes, there are now three caverns inside the Treak Cliff hill that are accessible to general public (Treak Cliff Cavern, Blue John Cavern and Speedwell Cavern).

The Fossil Cave with crinoids

The Dream Cave with stalagtites

The Witch’s Cave and rock with Blue John mineral

Aladdin’s Cave with multi-coloured flowstone

Blue John stone table top (fragment), Treak Cliff Cavern museum

Digging deep started in this area near Castleton village with led prospectors leading the way underground. By 1750’s there was more than 15 working mines in Treak Cliff alone. However, rather than mining led, these mines specialized on finding Blue John stone (fluorspar) which is a semi-precious mineral that had been largely used for making jewellery, ornaments, goblets and parts of furniture. Even in the height of mining production in the 18th century, the leases limited output to about 20 tons per year. When Blue John artefacts ceased to be fashionable in the early 20th century production did not stop entirely. Today the output is limited to one ton per year, and is mined mainly in Treak Cliff Cavern during winter months when visitors to these caves are scarce. Phasing out mining hasn’t stopped exploration of local underground. Since the 1920’s numerous new caves, routes and chambers have been discovered and today’s visitors can admire stalactites, stalagmites as well as various other rock formations and even fossils such as crinoids on routes through the show caverns.

Former mine in Treak Cliff Cavern near Castleton

Deep gorge where the Winnats Pass makes its way had been created by force of meltwater from glaciers running down at the end of last ice age about 10 000 years ago. Water has also been instrumental in creating the caves and passages in limestone rock over the course of millions of years. In Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago, this area would have been at the bottom of a shallow tropical sea, still at the beginning of a journey forward to our times.

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Treak Cliff and Winnats Pass at night, Peak District, England

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Treak Cliff and Winnats Pass, Peak District, England

Edward Burra (1905 - 1976) - English Country Scene I.

Hampstead Heath - Sandy Heath and midnight iris

Hampstead Heath is a woodland and grassland area located in north-west London. The Heath is covering 320 hectares and it takes approximately 3 hours to walk around its circumference. Within this large parkland is to be found 18 ponds. However, in this blog I focus on one pond, so small, that it is not included in the official count and does not have a name either.

Sandy Heath

The spring was slowly beginning in March and I first noticed it on the Heath when green blades of iris leaves started to shoot up near the pond (since March I visited this place many times and as I noticed a pair of ducks living here, I started to call it Two Ducks pond). This (Two Ducks) pond in Sandy Heath area is between Two Tree hill with its two 300 years old oaks and Constable pine which is the oldest pine tree on the whole Heath. As the name suggest the pine tree has already been here in the time when the famous landscape painter John Constable lived and worked in Hampstead in 1820’s. That was at the time when this part of Heath wasn’t woodland yet. An interesting fact also says that people who wanted to travel through this area had to pay toll at the Toll Gate House which is still standing next to Spaniard’s Inn pub and is now a listed building.

The underlying soil in this part of Heath is rich in Bagshot sand. This granular material was laid down in shallow coastal seas about 50 millions years ago and then slowly distributed by Bagshot river flowing from south-west England across Salisbury Plain to deposit thick river sands in London basin. The soil particularly suits growth of vegetation such as gorse, heather, birch and pine trees. Today there is a secondary woodland with great prevalence of oak, beech and hawthorn trees as well.

When Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, the 8th baronet inherited most of the Heath from his deceased father (the 7th baronet) in 1821, he wanted to build on it but was frustrated by certain stipulations in his father’s will as well as local oppositions. His plans in building up estate with 28 villas was stopped by parliament that pronounced the project not in the public interest. The only materialized structure from his efforts on his land was the Viaduct built in 1840’s which is still standing in East Heath.

Instead of building on Sandy Heath he used the sand as a building material and was selling up to 30 carts a day to the Midland Railway for a new track out of London St Pancras. Due to the high iron content, the sand is not suitable for mortar making and therefore it was used only for railway or road building and later for filling in sandbags during two World Wars.

Sandy Heath - April full moon

Sandy Heath - May full moon and midnight runner

I have been returning to Sandy Heath, now full of trees, day and night since the beginning of spring. During the day this area has been busy with people enjoying sunshine, walking their dogs and experiencing outdoors. In April I spotted six new-born ducklings in nearby bigger pond, jaybird bathing in smaller ponds and other animals such as rabbits, foxes, frogs, bats and immense quantity of birds and insect. I also came to photograph the (Two Ducks) pond during the April and May full moons. There was no breeze but the forest wasn’t silent. All sort of animal noises complemented the long exposures and the play of light and shadows caused by moonlight getting through the trees was something poetic to behold. In the second half of May the yellow water irises at (Two Ducks) pond were finally in bloom. The act of opening their flowers to insect pollinators don’t last long. Several days in and it was over. During this blooming time however, the yellow water iris produces a lot of nectar. In fact, according to survey done by AgriLand project in 2011-2012, researchers from Bristol University identified that of all flowers, yellow water iris (Iris pseudacerus) has second greatest nectar production per micro-gram of sugar per day in the UK (the greatest nectar production per day is by Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) which is a non-native species in the UK).

The summertime is slowly approaching and as always in summer months few of these small ponds around here will be covered by a thin film of green algae. The ducks and other wildfowl will be floating in water creating lines on the surface behind them. Life on this patch will go on, and hopefully undisturbed.

Sandy Heath - midnight illuminated

Sandy Heath - iris flower (iris pseudacorus) at midnight

Brexit - Political Landscape

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London_Parliament Hill_Before Brexit / After Brexit_31.1.2020

The land of what is now the United Kingdom (UK) has been located on island(s) for at least 8000 years. The city of London was founded as Londinium by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago in the Thames valley.

From long-term historical viewpoint, the so called Brexit (UK leaving political and economical institution – the European Union) is most likely a small blip of an event. However, this recent political exit has been process stretching over three and half years, culminating on 31.1.2020 at 11pm GMT when the UK symbolically left the EU. Nevertheless the political process still continues...

I walked up to Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath to observe this event and take images of London skyline before the exit and after the exit.

Hampstead Heath – Leg of Mutton pond

Hampstead Heath in north-west London is an expansive area of woodland, open fields and fresh air. It contains 18 ponds that are scattered across the Heath. I have chosen one of these ponds and its surroundings to illustrate the ideas of seasonal changes, growth, decay and regeneration as part of a natural cycle.

First recorded mention of Heath comes in 986 when English king Æthelred II. granted one of his servants five hides of land (hide was an English unit of land measurement originally intended to represent the amount of land sufficient to support a household). Although the land had been in private hands for hundreds of years large parts of it have acted as “green lungs of the metropolis” and remained common land serving to public recreation or for livestock grazing.

The idea for ponds came in late 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII. The springs of Hampstead Heath were leased to William Paterson & Partners, who formed the Hampstead Water Company and built reservoirs which supplied water to London. These reservoirs later became bathing ponds. The area with its expansive vistas, natural and man-made beauty has always been popular with artists. Poets (e.g. John Keats), painters (John Constable), and writers (C.S.Lewis) all found inspiration here. When the Hampstead Junction railway opened in 1860 it brought many other people escaping city for roaming in near natural surroundings, especially at weekends (it is estimated that in 1865 up to 50,000 people visited Hampstead Heath at Easter). Later on it hosted bank holiday fairs, donkey rides with people fishing in the ponds or even ice skating in cold winters. To this day there are famous pubs on or next to Heath like for example Spaniards Inn (built in 1585) Old Bull and Bush (1730) or Garden Gate (1855) frequented by notable people of history.

The Leg of Mutton pond is a small body of water in West Heath named most likely for its shape. This pond was built in 1816 by damming of a chalybeate brook Brent (mineral spring water containing salts of iron). This work was commissioned as part of a relief plan to employ the poor after Napoleonic wars. West Heath and in particular The Leg of Mutton pond area was also identified as an important Mesolithic site. Excavations were being carried out here in 1976-1981 and again in 1984-1986. Myfanwy Stewart from Institute of Archaeology writes in the report Burnt stone in West Heath, Hampstead (PIA No.1 1990) that “low pH factor prevents the survival of bone. In the almost total absence of organic remains, burnt stone was the only recoverable material available in quantity for providing possible behavioural evidence to support spatial analysis of the 100,000 or more struck flakes that have now been found”. Due to ecotone created on the London clay and Bagshot sands Mesolithic people would have found here a favourable environment with supply of fresh water.

Today this area of woodland is populated by many more trees then when the Leg of Mutton pond was created. It is very popular with walkers any time of the year and in warmer months serves also as gay cruising place. Some people forage for blackberries at the end of summer as well. Wildfowl, seagull, dragonfly, kingfisher, grass snake and bat can be seen in and around the ponds.

More than two hundred years has passed since the creation of the pond and although it is man-made its look doesn’t betray it first hand. I have visited this spot countless times throughout this year and every time it may be slightly different due to different natural circumstances like growth, decay, weather and light. Changes in seasons are obvious guides I pay attention to on the way throughout the year; returning to this spot, I have created my landmark in time.

Landscape of Prehistoric Sites

It was still dark night when I was approaching on foot to one of the most famous prehistoric monument in the world. Traffic consisting mainly of lorries on the road A303 which passes in close proximity to the site was already relentless. Ahead I could make up silhouette of stone circle and behind it a new day was gradually coming up in the eastern sky. When I reached the fenced monument I contemplated on morning mist hovering in the fields below. The mist was resembling translucent blanket slowly changing form and position to a point of disappearing completely and revealing scenery in greater detail.

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Stonehenge, Wiltshire

I was not alone here. In my view lonely and freezing security guard was moving in circles around the monument. At least in my mind, walking in his boots in these times of day, I could imagine that the surrounding landscape must present him with different moods and lighting conditions every single day. When first rays of rising sun touched Stonehenge, a large group of people suddenly appeared and quickly dispersed on the site. They came to enjoy rare one hour experience of being here; an experience enabled by English Heritage (the charitable organization responsible for looking after this monument and other sites in England). A special ticket which they had to purchase, double the normal price set to view the monument, entitled them to wander around and within the stone circle that is usually out of bounds to ordinary visitors who are only permitted to a designated pathway well off the stone structure.

Time was up for these visitants. Bathing in sunshine the group went back to the minibuses they boarded at nearby Visitor centre that largely facilitates access to Stonehenge. But there is so much more to explore around here as this landscape is saturated by various other sites concealed within it and connected to different eras of human habitation in this area. Stonehenge is however, at the very top of hierarchy among British prehistoric sites mainly for its would-be completeness, monumentality and variety of unearthed stories attached to this site which began as an earthwork enclosure on Salisbury plain about 3000 BCE.

There are many more prehistoric sites spread around the whole British Isles. In fact the countryside is dotted by standing stones, tombs, stone circles, dolmens, barrows, mounds or forts. These are highly interesting to archaeologists or historians whose perspectives and interpretations get updated with each and every discovery including scientific and technological advances and their subsequent application for new research that as a result enable us to better understand our history and to an extent our future as well. Many people however, visit these sites for various other purposes including reenacting ancient rites, noting of solstices and equinoxes, keeping up with their roots and identities or simple curiosity.

I myself slept within a stone circle near megalithic tomb in Ireland and in the second half of night got soaked up by rain for daring so. In Pembrokeshire in Wales, I walked in the Preseli hills, an area designated by geologist Herbert Henry Thomas in 1923 as a source of bluestones (dolerite) which are placed in the inner circle of Stonehenge. And I am certainly not alone in seeking unique experiences in prehistoric landscapes. Recently in Avebury, its rather large stone circle drawn in many people during first spring day full of sunshine. However, all of our wanderings and appreciations of spirit of the place are possible only for generations of custodians taking care of these landscapes and monuments throughout the ages - be it farmers, clergy and other enlightened people or institutions of present-day.

Traveling to different sites on British isles has enabled me to view in context significant era of human development and acknowledge extraordinary effort of our predecessors who, perhaps unintentionally, left behind a legacy in stonework which as raw rock was created by geological processes even deeper in time.

Preseli hills, Pembrokeshire

Stonehenge visitor centre, Wiltshire

Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire

Avebury stone circle (fragment), Wiltshire

Avebury stone circle (fragments), Wiltshire

The Longstones, Beckhampton Avenue near Avebury, Wiltshire

West Kennet Long Barrow, Wiltshire

Zennor Quoit, Cornwall

Chun Quoit, Cornwall

Castlerigg stone circle, Lake District

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Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Royal Botanic gardens, Kew - Temperate House, London

Last year in May, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world opened its doors to public once again. Grade I. listed Temperate house in London‘s Kew Gardens undertook long renovation work by architects Donald Insall Associates. The result is a huge success not only in showcasing the engineering prowess of the past and present but essentially in re-opening this space for conserving the collection of rare temperate plants – the main objective of this project.

Kew Gardens was established by princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha who commissioned head gardener John Dillman to enlarge botanical garden planned by her deceased husband Frederick, Prince of Wales. The gardens opened in 1759 and one of the oldest plant here is tall tree ginkgo biloba planted in 1762, the year in which the first sandwich was served in London.

Temperate house was designed by Decimus Burton (1800 – 1881) in 1859. This glasshouse was then opened in 1863 but the construction continued for the next 36 years. After the turn of millennium the glasshouse was so run down that it was no longer safe for public to enjoy the beauty of diverse plants and flowers inside. With help of funding from National Lottery, private and commercial donors it was possible to start restoration project that took five years to accomplish with the total amount spent close to £42 million. Most of the plants were removed during painstaking restoration however, nine trees remained in situ as they were too horticulturally significant to risk moving them elsewhere.

The embellishments decorating the glasshouse such as statues and urns were recast to the original Burton‘s design. Burton‘s sense for architectural detail is highlighted in terracotta urns placed in each corner of the central building. These urns are in fact concealed chimneys. Their function was releasing the steam from the old heating system.

This spectacular building comprising five pavilions (with its 4880 meters square) houses about 10 000 plants in diverse habitats like for example China, Himalaya‘s, Africa, Australia or Americas. One of the most interesting plants here is Encephalartos woodii, named after John Medley Wood, curator of Durban Botanic Garden who discovered it in 1895. This palm tree like cycad, brought to Kew in 1899, has also been called the loneliest plant in the world because there are only male specimens left – the female Encephalartos woodii has never been discovered.

It will also be interesting to observe the new growth of plants in Temperate house. There are currently unobstructed views from the upper walkway and it will take some time before most plants reach maturity and therefore it is possible to appreciate the expansive view of space inside of this architectural gem.

Malhamdale, Yorkshire, England

Watlowes valley, Yorkshire, England

Watlowes dry valley was formed by meltwater running underneath a glacier for a considerable period of time during last Ice age. The dry stone wall which extends in the valley is thought to be the oldest standing wall in the area of Malhamdale. It dates to medieval times when the wall functioned as an ancient boundary between eastern lands of Bolton Priory and western lands of Fountain Abbey.

It was in Carboniferous period, about 300 million years ago, that this area of Yorkshire Dales was a shallow tropical sea. Over a time of about 50 million years a series of limestone beds accumulated at the bottom of this sea. The bedrock got composed from shells of marine organisms and chemical precipitates. Once at the bottom of the sea this limestone formation, now eroded due to slightly acidic rainfall, is to be found at the top, capping the landscape around Malham.

Malham village was founded sometimes in the 8th century. People here grew barley and oats until recently but today the land is dotted by sheep and cattle roaming among the extensive length of dry stone walls. According to survey done in the end of 20th century it is estimated that there are over 5000 miles (8 000 km) of dry stone walls in Yorkshire Dales alone. These walls are dominant feature here and the first field systems may have been built during the Iron Age (about 500 BCE) with the purpose to make livestock safer against wolf’s attacks. Most of the walls around Malhamdale however, were built or rebuilt in the Enclosure period (1780-1840) when government act gradually helped to turn communally owned land into private property. Individual landowners abandoned farming in favour of raising sheep and cattle.

Dry stone walling is done without use of mortar and as such is a disappearing skill on British Isles. Today, this unique trade supports only about 40 qualified dry stone wallers in the whole of United Kingdom.

Malham cove (Winter 2017)

Malham cove by moonlight (Autumn 2018)

Malham dry stone walls

Malhamdale limestone pavement

Malham Tarn

Town Head farm, Malham

Cheddar Gorge, England

Cheddar gorge in Mendip Hills is the largest gorge in England. This gorge was formed in limestone during last Ice age by meltwater rushing down from glaciers over period of 1.2 millions of years. The river (today called Cheddar Yeo river) gradually made its way underground thus creating a complex underground system of caves. There are now many smaller caves in the area around Cheddar as well as two bigger ones that are open to public. Cox’s cave was discovered by George Cox in 1837 and Gough’s cave by Richard Gough in 1898. The underground was extensively examined by cavers as well as archaeologists and many bones and various artifacts were found. The most distinguished archaeological find (1903) was an almost complete skeleton of so called Cheddar man which is currently on loan in Natural History Museum in London. Radiocarbon dating suggests this specimen lived here around 10 000 years ago. New research into his ancient (degraded) DNA was recently carried out at the NHM and the study proposes that there is high probability this mesolithic hunter-gatherer still had dark skin.

Due to its natural beauty and steep rocks Cheddar gorge is a great place for climbers. It is also generally touristic place that is visited by nearly half a million people every year. The road B3135 winds through the gorge and is an ultimate test for drivers, bikers and cyclists alike. Not all people come to see protected landscape as their priority because this area is also very famous for its cheddar cheese that is still being produced in the village.

Cheddar gorge

Cheddar gorge (Heart Leaf Bluff) by moonlight

St. Paul's chamber at Gough's cave

Road B3135 (Horseshoe bend)

Road B3135 through the gorge

Gough's cave

Skeleton of Cheddar man at Natural History Museum, London

Walks in English countryside

Some time ago I was given old Czechoslovak camera called Flexaret IV. Apparently it wasn’t in use for long time, hidden in loft of a household gathering the dust. It is a medium format camera very popular during 50’s and 60’s. In those times it was preferable choice for amateur photographers beyond eastern Europe and indeed very popular with Czechoslovak families. This camera utilizes square format (approximately 6X6 cm) and uses 120 film which was initially introduced by Kodak for their Brownie No.2 camera in 1901.

It looked in good repair and after I cleaned it I realized that this camera was in really good condition. I ran through it Ilford film in order to find out whether it was worth keeping for the actual use or to be kept as a decoration or perhaps even a collectable item. The resulting images pleasantly surprised me. I started to take the ‘box’ with me on walks with my friends in English countryside as I wanted to have images with different feel as pictures taken by today's camera phones are just too ubiquitous. Another, more tangible reason for its use on my walks is that I do not want to carry the weight of my main camera kit on my back.

It is all manual camera made in 1957 and its design, function and durability makes it still possible to take photographs after 60 years since it was made by Meopta company in Přerov.