I have a very soft spot for the reclaimed land to the north of Doncaster with its big skies and forgotten villages. The idyll is being threatened by the explosion of new build, executive haciendas, which jar with the landscape and have about as much affinity with vernacular architecture as The Gherkin.
I was also pleased to find a blog devoted to aqueducts and I feel a little miffed that I did not think of the idea first.
http://ukaqueducts.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/don-aqueduct.html
The New Junction Canal looked colourful under dramatic skies.
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The best view of the aqueduct is from a barge, so I had to make the best of an off-centre viewpoint.
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The sluice gates, which can be lowered to prevent the contents of the canal draining in to the Don should the aqueduct fail, were impressively purposeful.
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The aqueduct also serves as a run-off for the canal when excess water overflows to the Don below.
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We had previously popped in to The Earl of Doncaster, a recently restored Art Deco hotel. Though rather gaudy it had retained some period style.
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The next day I wandered up the hill to a small group of poppies that Helen and I had spotted, when straying off poorly way-marked paths, and making the acquaintance of our local herd of water buffalo.
The adjacent hedgerow gave a clear message that autumn is on its way.
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It was then off to Castleton for a round walk taking in Cavedale and Mam Tor. Helen said that I never took any decent scenic pictures of landscapes, so I took a couple to prove her right. Note Peveril Castle to the top left of Cavedale.
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Other recent amblings have included Agden and Barnsley, where either end of its grand arcade presented a very different picture.
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One of my best pictures of Brenda was taken at Agden. However it only remains a memory, as I forgot to check that I had any film in the camera.
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