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2024-03-29T02:04:25+00:00text/html2017-03-29T08:25:01+00:00Bill Nicholls51.455847113772 -0.95793942785611The Day I went to Prison
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/251
Well I did pay to get into the prison like many others to see the Inside Reading Prison Art Exhibition which was on as part of the Reading Arts Festival <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5320123" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Reading Prison by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Reading Prison by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/01/5320123_bbc12ec5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> but face it I did not go to see art I went along to see what the prison I used to see from the school yard and classroom next door <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5320115" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Back of St James by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Back of St James by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/01/5320115_63bd9383_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> was like. I'd always wondered what a prison looked like inside and as Reading Prison closed in 2013 I thought it would be rude to pass up the opportunity to look around <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5320286" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Into the Prison by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Into the Prison by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/02/5320286_1f727f37_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5320287" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : First Wing by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : First Wing by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/02/5320287_681c159e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. So I went along through the prison looking at what it had to offer <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5321178" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Double Cell by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Double Cell by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/11/5321178_3f5919bc_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> and climbing staircases up the levels <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5321262" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Stairs to the second floor by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Stairs to the second floor by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/12/5321262_05fae996_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5321423" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Looking down on the Exhibition by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Looking down on the Exhibition by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/14/5321423_27f994fc_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>, looked in Oscar's cell <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5321433" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Oscars Cell by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Oscars Cell by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/14/5321433_18becc20_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and the floor he was on <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5321435" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Oscars Floor by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Oscars Floor by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/14/5321435_97190ac5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>.<br />
We even had the chance to visit the chapel which was now a recreation hall as the chapel was destroyed in the 1950s <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326228" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Door in the Chapel by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Door in the Chapel by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/62/5326228_fd0b82e2_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. The door to Oscar Wilde's cell was on show as part of the art exhibition <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326231" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Oscars View by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Oscars View by Bill Nicholls" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/62/5326231_7555d3fd_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>. We took in all the floors of the prison <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326397" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : West Wing on Floor 2 by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : West Wing on Floor 2 by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/63/5326397_8405cd89_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> which to me still looked Victorian <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326521" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Looking East by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Looking East by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/65/5326521_dd23f8f6_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> and finally came out the way we went in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326763" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Long Corridor by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Long Corridor by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/67/5326763_e1d82696_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> where we past people coming in <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326767" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Queuing to get out by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Queuing to get out by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/67/5326767_d40daf0c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/5326770" target="_blank" title="SU7273 : Inside Reading Prison by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7273 : Inside Reading Prison by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/32/67/5326770_105d2a06_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. It was an insight to me of a little of what a Victorian prison looked like.text/html2015-06-19T08:52:58+00:00Bill Nicholls51.745931331418 -1.2699421280233Flight of Fancy
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/228
One of the things I have always wanted to do was to take a Balloon flight. I nearly had one as a surprise for my fortieth but the cat got out of the bag and my wife did something else for me. I never forgot and dropped the odd hint now and then. Then on my last birthday I got my surprise a Hot Air Balloon Flight. The hard bit was deciding where to fly from but my wife & I decided Oxford would be the easiest so on April 15th we went along to Oxford to take our flight.<br />
Take off was around 7:30 and we got to the Oxford Ice Rink for 7am not long after the balloon turned up <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4520498" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Basket on the Back by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Basket on the Back by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/04/4520498_e22b7527_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and unloaded <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4520501" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Laying out the Balloon by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Laying out the Balloon by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/05/4520501_994422de_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> followed by the basket <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4520508" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Pulling off the Basket by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Pulling off the Basket by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/05/4520508_0e6eca73_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> people taking the flight were encouraged to help out <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4520512" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : The Anchor Men by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : The Anchor Men by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/05/4520512_8b548fa9_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and the Balloon was soon inflating <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4520655" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Looking like a Balloon by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Looking like a Balloon by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/06/4520655_887bca95_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4520659" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Flame On by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Flame On by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/06/4520659_c4bbfd24_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and in the air <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525287" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Almost Ready by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Almost Ready by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/52/4525287_7c58232f_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>. Soon after we were flying over Oxford <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525297" target="_blank" title="SP5005 : Flying over the Carpark by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5005 : Flying over the Carpark by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/52/4525297_d5589297_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> seeing the colleges <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525390" target="_blank" title="SP5105 : Christchurch College by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5105 : Christchurch College by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/53/4525390_67f5a14b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525395" target="_blank" title="SP5105 : Towards Christchurch by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5105 : Towards Christchurch by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/53/4525395_e5865d17_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>, the Ratcliffe Camera <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525409" target="_blank" title="SP5106 : The Radcliffe Camera by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5106 : The Radcliffe Camera by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/54/4525409_bb9d3084_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525505" target="_blank" title="SP5106 : The City of Oxford by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5106 : The City of Oxford by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/55/4525505_69a03f19_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and past Magdalen college <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525512" target="_blank" title="SP5206 : Magdalen College by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5206 : Magdalen College by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/55/4525512_b35f2fe8_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. Soon the JR was going past <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525772" target="_blank" title="SP5407 : The John Radcliffe by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5407 : The John Radcliffe by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/57/4525772_80a7d05a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and we watched the rush hour traffic <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4525830" target="_blank" title="SP5507 : The Headington Hamburger by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5507 : The Headington Hamburger by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/58/4525830_39fd69a4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. Then it was over the Oxfordshire countryside <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4526620" target="_blank" title="SP5809 : Edge of Stanton St John by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5809 : Edge of Stanton St John by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/66/4526620_690a4f9d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4526635" target="_blank" title="SP6211 : Edge of Burnwood Forest by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP6211 : Edge of Burnwood Forest by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/66/4526635_bc18e5d0_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> flying over villages like Oakley <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4526709" target="_blank" title="SP6312 : Oakley Village by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP6312 : Oakley Village by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/67/4526709_a130362b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and Brill <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4526829" target="_blank" title="SP6513 : Looking Down On Brill by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP6513 : Looking Down On Brill by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/68/4526829_c8eec9d4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>, past a school <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4526837" target="_blank" title="SP6713 : Passing Ashfold School by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP6713 : Passing Ashfold School by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/68/4526837_42643d09_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and cows who did not give a moo <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4526855" target="_blank" title="SP6914 : Cows go Moo by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP6914 : Cows go Moo by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/68/4526855_07dc9a8e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. We even flew past an aeroplane <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4527087" target="_blank" title="SP7216 : Plane in the Garden by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP7216 : Plane in the Garden by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/70/4527087_9c4d9c4c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and an old airfield <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4527126" target="_blank" title="SP7216 : Looking towards Wescott by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP7216 : Looking towards Wescott by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/71/4527126_3f7dbfe5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> along with a manor <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4527128" target="_blank" title="SP7216 : Lodge Hill by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP7216 : Lodge Hill by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/71/4527128_0273bb54_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> then we were past <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4527136" target="_blank" title="SP7417 : Outside Waddesdon by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP7417 : Outside Waddesdon by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/71/4527136_0c0e10ea_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and down to earth again <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4527137" target="_blank" title="SP7417 : Packing up the Balloon by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP7417 : Packing up the Balloon by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/71/4527137_9c54186c_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>. We landed just outside Waddeston village and were picked up after having the obligatory glass of bubbly and taken back to Oxford <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4528305" target="_blank" title="SP5006 : Oxford Bus Station by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP5006 : Oxford Bus Station by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/52/83/4528305_69eff43d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> where we had lunch and went home. Would I do it again, you bet I would it was awesome!<br />
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text/html2015-05-21T09:47:16+00:00Bill Nicholls51.071526266653 -1.2663272109647Walk along the Itchen Way
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/225
Been a while since I wrote one of these for Geograph but I think this one is a worthy one to do. The reason I happened to be here was because my wife was at a conference at the Holiday Inn. This seemed an ideal opportunity to take in some places I have not visited and get a few church's for my Blog. I planned to visit four and if I had time at the end go to the cemetery nearby. As it was I was out walking for over six hours and did not have the time at the end.<br />
Started out from the Holiday Inn <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4426887" target="_blank" title="SU5129 : The Holiday Inn by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5129 : The Holiday Inn by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/42/68/4426887_ef646654_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and was soon out in the country <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4427163" target="_blank" title="SU5129 : Towards Larkwhistle Farm by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5129 : Towards Larkwhistle Farm by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/42/71/4427163_5de211f3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> passing one unfortunate fox on the way <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4427175" target="_blank" title="SU5130 : Fox on the Run by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5130 : Fox on the Run by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/42/71/4427175_fe3806be_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. It was not long before the village of Easton came in sight <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4428840" target="_blank" title="SU5131 : Easton Ahead by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5131 : Easton Ahead by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/42/88/4428840_6005e582_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and the first church <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4430965" target="_blank" title="SU5032 : St Mary's Church Easton by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5032 : St Mary's Church Easton by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/43/09/4430965_2a568479_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> St Mary where I might add I was surprised people in the church spring cleaning <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4432757" target="_blank" title="SU5032 : Cleaning away by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5032 : Cleaning away by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/43/27/4432757_1aa0a0b5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Once I had taken my photo's round the church & churchyard it was off along the Itchen Way <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4438100" target="_blank" title="SU5132 : The Itchen Way by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5132 : The Itchen Way by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/43/81/4438100_b34ffc43_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and the next village of Martyr Worthy with St Swithuns Church <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4439347" target="_blank" title="SU5132 : St Swithun Martyr Worthy by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5132 : St Swithun Martyr Worthy by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/43/93/4439347_a5fb500d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4439380" target="_blank" title="SU5132 : Aisle in St Swithun by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5132 : Aisle in St Swithun by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/43/93/4439380_9e620f20_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. After getting my photos and visiting the War memorial <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4452161" target="_blank" title="SU5132 : Martyr Worthy War Memorial by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5132 : Martyr Worthy War Memorial by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/21/4452161_2c31dd5d_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> I linked back with the Itchen way <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4453338" target="_blank" title="SU5132 : The Itchen Way by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5132 : The Itchen Way by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/33/4453338_560d6abe_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> passed the odd sign <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4453431" target="_blank" title="SU5232 : Sign by the Itchen Way by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5232 : Sign by the Itchen Way by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/34/4453431_f9b1adb6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and followed along by the River Itchen for a time <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4454609" target="_blank" title="SU5232 : Bending Away by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5232 : Bending Away by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/46/4454609_cfc91cfa_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> before meeting <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4454614" target="_blank" title="SU5232 : Notice on the Post by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5232 : Notice on the Post by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/46/4454614_258a3ef4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> the four pigs <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4454720" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : Rooting Away by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : Rooting Away by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/47/4454720_2e0d0fe3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and Itchen Abbas <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4454720" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : Rooting Away by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : Rooting Away by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/45/47/4454720_2e0d0fe3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The next church there was St John the Baptist <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4464278" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : St John the Baptist by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : St John the Baptist by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/46/42/4464278_0e35555f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4463063" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : Nave to the Chancel by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : Nave to the Chancel by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/46/30/4463063_ca66ff3b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> where you can find the grave of the last man hung for horse theft in England <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4464274" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : John Hughes by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : John Hughes by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/46/42/4464274_32fd9e6a_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. It was then time for the final church at Avington <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4465647" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : Into Avington by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : Into Avington by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/46/56/4465647_88212bc1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> St Mary <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4480593" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : St Mary's Church Avington by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : St Mary's Church Avington by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/05/4480593_701018a0_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4480606" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : Aisle in St Mary by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : Aisle in St Mary by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/06/4480606_29d602bc_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> which I thought was the best church of the visit as it still retained the Box pews <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4482110" target="_blank" title="SU5332 : Pulpit View by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5332 : Pulpit View by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/21/4482110_b900f922_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Once Finished in the church & Village it was off out into the countryside and the way back <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4483864" target="_blank" title="SU5231 : Along the Low Ground by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5231 : Along the Low Ground by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/38/4483864_c72b4c68_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4484031" target="_blank" title="SU5230 : Bend on Harley Hill by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5230 : Bend on Harley Hill by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/40/4484031_8b690836_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4484065" target="_blank" title="SU5130 : Long way Back by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5130 : Long way Back by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/40/4484065_f4711930_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Soon I was passing Larkwistle farm <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4484068" target="_blank" title="SU5130 : Larkwhistle Farm by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5130 : Larkwhistle Farm by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/48/40/4484068_12a525a1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> which meant I had only a mile or so to go. At the end I was tired & thirsty as I had not taken any sustenance with me so the little trip to the cemetery went out the window. Here is the GeoTrip to go with the walk <a title="http://www.geograph.ie/geotrips/995" href="http://www.geograph.ie/geotrips/995">Link</a>text/html2014-08-07T13:43:58+00:00Bill Nicholls51.619974569798 -1.2575200045903End of the Cooling Towers
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/209
I have been sadly lacking in blogs of late mainly because I have been concentrating on my own personal blogs but I thought my recent exploits should be shared here. Didcot Powerstation as we all have heard is now coming down. The first of the three cooling towers were blown up early one Sunday Morning witnessed by many thousand people. In the weeks leading up to the event the contractors announced they would be coming down on the 27th July between 3 & 5 am much to the annoyance of all the local people and councils. The contractors and owners said they had checked with the relevant people and this would be ok. Relevant people being Oxford County Council ?? Network Rail (ok the railway runs past) & the police <br />
They never asked the locals what they thought nor South Oxfordshire district Council & White Horse district Councils where the Powerstation is situated.<br />
When the site owner was interview and asked about people watching he said it was not a spectator even it was a demolition, then admitted he had asked his nephew to come and watch. When told that Network rail had no objections to it being put off till 6am he said they did not know that, nor did they know the railway was being closed the following weekend. <br />
All that said the time was set and people were told to stay away in case they got covered in dust. They seemed to forget that the Powerstation can be seen for miles around. Wittenham Clumps and the Rigeway being some great vantage points <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3508241" target="_blank" title="SU6187 : Didcot Power Station in the Morning by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6187 : Didcot Power Station in the Morning by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/50/82/3508241_9e55658f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1041761" target="_blank" title="SU5087 : Didcot Power station by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5087 : Didcot Power station by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/04/17/1041761_d16808f7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Come the day of the event my sons and I went over to just outside Harwell to watch the event after I thought there would be too many people at Hagbourne hill and Harwell was a tad closer to the Powerstation. We got there at 2.40 <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091868" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Waiting for the end by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Waiting for the end by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091868_2a485bad_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> to find the roadside packed with people but were lucky to find a space to park. By 3am the road was nearly impassable and the roadside was lined with people waiting for the bang. We waited till just before 5 am for the event to happen<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091873" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Three minutes left by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Three minutes left by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091873_fa2ef77b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. One person had a twitter feed going so kept people up to date then we hear the warning bangs and next someone said “they are falling”. I just pressed the shutter release and fire off a burst getting thirty frames of the towers falling <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4089892" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : The end by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : The end by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/08/98/4089892_e19841a5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091877" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Going down by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Going down by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091877_37ac3e9c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091878" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Third going down by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Third going down by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091878_59d202c6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091881" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Last moments by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Last moments by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091881_43dafa30_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091885" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : And they are gone by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : And they are gone by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091885_d3ed080b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, then we heard the sound of the explosion just as the last tower collapsed to the ground. Little dust seem to come off. It seemed a long time to wait around for something that was over in less than ten seconds after that we went home. I took a couple of back up photos later in the day <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4091888" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Half a day later by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Half a day later by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/18/4091888_8550d593_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>and some of the Powerstation a few days later <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4099272" target="_blank" title="SU5191 : All Gone by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5191 : All Gone by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/09/92/4099272_74c5b529_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. My wife said the explosion could be heard from where we lived miles away. Thousands of people came out to watch the event happen and Eon and their contractors must have had egg on their faces from the miss handling of the PR they could have gained from it. Instead as one local paper put it “they snatched a humiliating Defeat from the jaws of Victory” I hope they learn from this but somehow I doubt it.<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2635101" target="_blank" title="SU5090 : Thank you for visiting by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5090 : Thank you for visiting by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/63/51/2635101_fedd6860_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> Didcot Powerstation 1968-2013<br />
text/html2013-02-20T10:01:26+00:00Bill NichollsThe Last Three Months
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/175
My submissions have gone down in the last three months which is down to a few things. I had uploaded 20,000 images (no fanfare for that) and the cost of driving out to places is not getting any cheaper but one of the other reasons is I have started blogging more. I juggle five of them at the moment and I blame the Geograph one for starting me off on this trail. So what have I been doing Geograph wise apart from posting photos of our village hall being built? <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3303838" target="_blank" title="SU5886 : Snow day by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5886 : Snow day by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/30/38/3303838_882eb7f6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a><br />
Well a lady who lives in Colorado contacted me about using some of my photos for a book she is writing about her mother’s life as a Mental Nurse. She did her training at Fairmile Hospital <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3320900" target="_blank" title="SU5986 : Front of the building by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5986 : Front of the building by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/32/09/3320900_3dfb4825_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> so I sorted out some photos of the place for her then proof read a couple of chapters which ended up being the whole book.<br />
Reading through the first chapter which was about the training which went on at Fairmile I could follow the lady's move round the site even from the photos I have taken in the last few years. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3040597" target="_blank" title="SU5985 : The newly renovated by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5985 : The newly renovated by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/04/05/3040597_c7398116_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
A trip to Newbury just after Christmas was a failure due to the cemetery I wanted to visit being closed but I did manage to get a few photos from outside which formed another Blog. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3289685" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : Cemetery entrance by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : Cemetery entrance by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/28/96/3289685_295bb781_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3289684" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : Graves in Newtown road Cemetery by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : Graves in Newtown road Cemetery by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/28/96/3289684_374a2ba5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
On another chapter it was off to Peppard to get a photo of Borocourt though it is a privately owned area now I did sneak a few pictures of the house though I have not posted them on here. A couple of weeks later it was back to Peppard again for some photos of the local church <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3314907" target="_blank" title="SU7181 : Towards the Lych Gate by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7181 : Towards the Lych Gate by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/31/49/3314907_49a041dd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> then on to Caversham and Reading Cemetery for another purpose, one of my blogs. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3320782" target="_blank" title="SU7275 : A line of Graves by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7275 : A line of Graves by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/32/07/3320782_f63531db_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
The blog was about the bombing of Reading during the Second World War which had its 70th anniversary on the 10th February. I took photos of the various areas from the bombing and linked the blog into a second one about two of the victims who were girls of 10 & 11. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3336159" target="_blank" title="SU7173 : Where the damage was done by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7173 : Where the damage was done by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/33/61/3336159_b95465bf_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3336155" target="_blank" title="SU7173 : Works by the church by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7173 : Works by the church by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/33/61/3336155_841b6379_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3337558" target="_blank" title="SU7173 : To Honour the memory by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU7173 : To Honour the memory by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/33/75/3337558_212e628b_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> <br />
You can read my blogs here but you might want to sit down with a cup of tea.<br />
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text/html2012-11-14T13:14:44+00:00Bill Nicholls51.299791617831 -0.64590638681469A return to Brookwood
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/164
A return to Brookwood was on the cards, I needed to revisit the Commonwealth War cemetery there for a photo of J A Wilding <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3205080" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Flying Officer J.A. Wilding DFC by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Flying Officer J.A. Wilding DFC by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/50/3205080_7c3c2e39_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> so I could finish off my blog. <br />
The place has always had an impact on me from the sheer size of it <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3203663" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : The Commonwealth Area by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : The Commonwealth Area by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/36/3203663_f56c4bcd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3204983" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : The French Cemetery by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : The French Cemetery by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/49/3204983_fa833380_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I doubt even if it is as big as other some of the other war cemeteries in this country but none the less it is always worth going round <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3205085" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Row 55A by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Row 55A by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/50/3205085_d1317721_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I spent quite a while wandering round though was disappointed I could not see more of the RAF site as it was under maintenance and the area was being reseeded <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3203846" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : The RAF Graves by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : The RAF Graves by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/38/3203846_0f02a761_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3203686" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : Royal Air Force Shelter by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : Royal Air Force Shelter by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/36/3203686_340d0fe5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I took the time to look round the memorial for the missing <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3204985" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Memorial to the missing by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Memorial to the missing by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/49/3204985_a7871939_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> before heading off to look for Wilding's grave in the Canadian cemetery. I had forgotten the row number but I quickly realised the rows of graves were in date order so it was just a case of following the days months and years till I found the date.<br />
I headed off to the top of the cemetery and the cross to get a view down then noticed another cemetery which turned out to be from the Royal Hospital, the Chelsea Pensioners last resting place. I felt they were serving their monarch till the very end and were buried with their fallen comrades <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3205247" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Part of the Royal Hospital Cemetery by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Part of the Royal Hospital Cemetery by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/52/3205247_614d76fd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I might add there were a few annexes for military personnel at the cemetery for those wishing to be buried there. On going away I noticed four RCAF graves close together, all with the same date I assume the crew from one aircraft <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3222206" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Four Crew mates by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Four Crew mates by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/22/22/3222206_645337be_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. It made me wonder, then on the way back out I came across the German and Italian graves and noticed a few like that but closer together. Three which were side by side had the same date. Another crew who died together <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3207867" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : They died together by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : They died together by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/78/3207867_a4fd8b1b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
I left the cemetery after looking at a small section of line that had been laid as a memory of what had been the rail line going to the cemetery <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3222022" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : A piece of track by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : A piece of track by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/22/20/3222022_646a1c0f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>, then headed off to the canal. I wanted to see the Deepcut flight of locks and what progress had been made since I had last been to the place.<br />
Heading off to Cowshot bridge the first thing I noticed was the canal was full of water <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3208357" target="_blank" title="SU9356 : Back to Lock 16 by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9356 : Back to Lock 16 by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/83/3208357_6a583802_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> again and the lockgates back in place though <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3208362" target="_blank" title="SU9356 : New gates by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9356 : New gates by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/83/3208362_50cf3657_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a><br />
on closer inspection I noticed the sluice gates for emptying the lock had been removed and a shutter screwed in place <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3211524" target="_blank" title="SU9356 : Blocked-off sluice by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9356 : Blocked-off sluice by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/15/3211524_e0027e9e_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. The sluice gates on the other end were also in various states of repair with the winding and posts missing. Some of the locks had leaks with water pouring in through holes in the brickwork. On route I also came across my first boundary marker left over from the days when the area was under military control <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3211691" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : Boundary stone at Lock 20 by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : Boundary stone at Lock 20 by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/16/3211691_848336b5_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. Going on towards Curzon bridge the water was low in the canal due <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3214498" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : No gates that end by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : No gates that end by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/44/3214498_461c985b_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3214653" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : From under Curzon Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : From under Curzon Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/46/3214653_b05c5ded_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> to the lock gates being removed for repair <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3215507" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : Looking at the big gates by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : Looking at the big gates by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/55/3215507_a821cdec_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. While getting photos of the railway nearby I noticed a wall further down the track to the road which turned out to be another bridge. On the way along to get a few photos I noticed a dragons tooth <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3215759" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : A lonely tooth by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : A lonely tooth by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/57/3215759_bbfd2b8e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> left over from the wartime defence then, by the road, a type 22 pillbox <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3216778" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : Lurking by the road by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : Lurking by the road by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/67/3216778_9be357cd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
There was more to come in the shape of a roadblock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3216780" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : On its side by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : On its side by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/67/3216780_b63fc4da_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> that had been pushed over and a second dragons tooth on its side <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3216785" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : A better view by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : A better view by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/67/3216785_d5a97123_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, then while going round the back of the pillbox I spotted an anti tank cylinder <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3216914" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : Cylinder and pillbox by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : Cylinder and pillbox by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/69/3216914_b94b2057_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> All the items associated with roadblocks near a pillbox in one place still though sparse. Shame they had been removed like that. After getting some photos of the bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3216916" target="_blank" title="SU9256 : Towards Curzon Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9256 : Towards Curzon Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/21/69/3216916_7eeea080_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> it was back to the canal and a walk along towards Lock 27 where I finished and headed back to Brookwood Village hall and my lift home.<br />
Sorry no Geotrip on this one messed up with the data.text/html2012-09-14T10:15:20+00:00Bill Nicholls51.600992299726 -1.11344531704349th September 1944
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/157
On that day two airmen lost their lives when a Halifax Bomber returning from a raid crashed just outside Wallingford narrowly missing the town. It was thought they managed to steer the plane away to save the town. Two roads in the town are named after them and each year a service is held in their honour at the memorial by the two roads <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125294" target="_blank" title="SU5990 : Wreaths round the Memorial by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5990 : Wreaths round the Memorial by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125294_b887b2c1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I thought it was time to look into the story a bit more. <br />
This starts with my trip to Wales where I found out the Flight Engineer Sergeant Andrews was buried in Kerry cemetery so I paid a visit while down there to get a photo <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3124834" target="_blank" title="SO1490 : Sgt F/E J F Andrew by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO1490 : Sgt F/E J F Andrew by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/48/3124834_962939cb_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. It was a bit of a surprise not to see the normal Commonwealth type but a normal headstone but no doubt that was what the family wanted.<br />
On my return back I live I dropped into Wallingford and walked along the River Thames to see if I could locate the crash site <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125227" target="_blank" title="SU6189 : Looking for the crash site by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6189 : Looking for the crash site by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125227_8243a17a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and thought I had a good idea but have since changed my mind and will post my findings later. From there I went up to the memorial and the service <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125237" target="_blank" title="SU5990 : The service starts by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5990 : The service starts by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125237_d38864b1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> being held on the corner of Wilding and Andrew Road which were named after the pilot and flight engineer. There were more people than I thought would have been there including a relation of J F Wilding the pilot <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125236" target="_blank" title="SU5990 : Start of the ceremony by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5990 : Start of the ceremony by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125236_84941f73_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The service was respectful and well done, <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125242" target="_blank" title="SU5990 : Saluting the brave by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5990 : Saluting the brave by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125242_895343cb_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125245" target="_blank" title="SU5990 : Salute from the RAF by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5990 : Salute from the RAF by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125245_b320e25d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> only let down by some idiot who drove up before the start and managed to get past only to turn round at the end of Wilding road and find himself trapped as the service had started. He complained he wanted to get past and was hurling all sorts of abuse upsetting some of the older people there. He eventually got past when the service ended narrowly missing the Flag Party <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125289" target="_blank" title="SU5990 : Speech to the Cubs by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5990 : Speech to the Cubs by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125289_9fb005fe_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The matter was reported to the police. It was good to see that Andrew and Wliding have not been forgotten and that they are remembered each year and that the Canadian Flag flies in honour over Wallingford Town Hall on the Sunday nearest the fateful day <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3125223" target="_blank" title="SU6089 : Canadian flag on the Town Hall by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6089 : Canadian flag on the Town Hall by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/12/52/3125223_3035f278_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3205080" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Flying Officer J.A. Wilding DFC by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Flying Officer J.A. Wilding DFC by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/20/50/3205080_7c3c2e39_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. I Managed to get down to Brookwood for a photo of J.F.Wildings grave and found the experiance of going back to a rather humbling expriance after seeing all the graves there.<br />
<span class="nowrap"><a title="http://spuduka.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/flying-officer-ja-wilding-sargent.html" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://spuduka.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/flying-officer-ja-wilding-sargent.html">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>text/html2010-12-04T22:30:35+00:00Bill Nicholls51.656027079917 -1.271387065391Old Culham Bridge
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/6
The 28th November was a good weekend for me as I finally found out where the two pillboxes were at Old Culham bridge. I'd looked all round the place for them and it turned out they were both built on the old bridge. On one end was a Type 28 <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2184798" target="_blank" title="SU5095 : Type 28 here by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5095 : Type 28 here by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/18/47/2184798_f0a2dee4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
The other end had a Type 28A built over the support. <br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2184823" target="_blank" title="SU5095 : Recess on the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5095 : Recess on the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/18/48/2184823_e14caf46_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2184838" target="_blank" title="SU5095 : Here is the proof by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5095 : Here is the proof by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/18/48/2184838_6b8fe573_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
It finished off with me getting a photo of the Bench mark on Sutton Bridge at the Culham Cut <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2186011" target="_blank" title="SU5094 : Sutton Bridge bench mark by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5094 : Sutton Bridge bench mark by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/18/60/2186011_77c2d20d_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a><br />
The only thing I missed was a bench mark on Old Culham Bridge which I will return to find at a later date.text/html2010-12-11T22:47:15+00:00Bill Nicholls51.538168197795 -1.1290847423176A bad weekend
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/8
Last weekend was a bad one on the geograph front for me I ended up getting a few photos of a triangulation point I had been after for while, this weekend at least has started off better. After taking the train to Reading I noticed on the way back a new bridge being built over the railway at Goring. So after getting home I went to investigate and it turns out that network rail is going to demolish the bridge at Spring Farm and build a new one.<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2196163" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : A view of the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : A view of the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/19/61/2196163_0050654d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
The demolition starts on the 1st Jan 2011. Managed to get a few photos of the old bridge so hopefully I'll get some of the demolition as well. Another one of Brunel's bridges bites the dust. Now I need to find out about the one at Purley near Reading. <br />
My photographic project on Fairmile Hospital is going well though I have not posted any photos because I really need to clear it with the developers first.<br />
Hopefully I will be able to get out and take some photos tomorrow as I need to build up a stock again.text/html2010-12-12T22:15:20+00:00Bill Nicholls51.71098676531 -1.4586573860064A good weekend
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/9
Today was a good day on the pillbox front and filled in a couple more pieces of the jigsaw which is the redline. I managed to visit three, a church and bag a bench mark. The first two pillboxes were at Shifford. The first on the farm <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2199034" target="_blank" title="SP3701 : Shifford farm pillbox by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3701 : Shifford farm pillbox by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/19/90/2199034_6ca00c8f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
and the second at what I called the quarry <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2199093" target="_blank" title="SP3801 : Back through the hedge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3801 : Back through the hedge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/19/90/2199093_c9ddce6e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
I got permission from the farm to visit theirs and told them I was going to cross the fields to visit the second. That turned out to be on another property so I hope the owner forgives my intrusion. From there it was to Shifford Church to get a few photos and bag an un-registered bench mark. Last on the list was a pillbox in a private residence. I got permission and took a few photos. Turned out though I was not the only person to visit in recent times as a young lady studying for a degree had been there as well. Anyway a good day it turned out.text/html2010-12-19T20:18:26+00:00Bill Nicholls51.583330602533 -1.1570875663505Snowy weekend
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/16
After the success of last weekend I wondered what I'd be doing this one. Reading was beckoning for some Christmas shopping and places I had taken photos of. I'd let the dog out at 7:30 then went back to bed for five minutes only to wake up again around 8:30 and 2 inches of snow outside, Reading did not look such a good proposition. I ended up taking some photos round the village of the snow, not that I found it very inspiring. Night shots looked a better prospect thus around 20:00hrs I walked back round the village taking in odd scenes <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2208896" target="_blank" title="SU5886 : The Forty on a winter night by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5886 : The Forty on a winter night by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/20/88/2208896_da884325_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> working my way back up to the church for more <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2208914" target="_blank" title="SU5886 : Gravestones in the snow by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5886 : Gravestones in the snow by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/20/89/2208914_4c9e93ee_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
I managed to salvage something from such a cold weekend. I don't mind the snow but I'm afraid traipsing around far afield in the cold did not fill me with joy this weekend, still the Christmas break is another matter.text/html2010-12-29T21:24:05+00:00Bill NichollsThree years up
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/18
This will be my third year as a member of Geograph and I managed to pass 10,000 images get up to 25th in the all time leader plus 7th in the depth, became a moderator and a shortlister for Goty (sorry don’t hold with the Poty name) and stood up in front of you all at the convention and did my first presentation which I like to thing went down well<br />
The year has seen a lot of inroads into tracking down the pillboxes on the stoplines. The first success had to be the Sulham Valley which runs from Theale to Pangbourne. It took two attempts as there were so many and the second one I did with a colleague were we discovered shuttering still in place from the second world war. I also managed to complete the Thames visiting most of the pillboxes and photographing the couple I have not visit, the most recent discovery was to find the bases of two on Old Culham bridge. The section from Abingdon to Appleton Common is also nearly complete with only a couple to now track down. The Upper Thames from Appleton Common is now starting to reveal more finds as is the Blue line along the River Kennet. I started work on a Google Map to plot all the Pillboxes and defences I managed to visit. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=214270542788652481015.00047ee2125cf60a9ee4b&t=h&z=10" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=214270542788652481015.00047ee2125cf60a9ee4b&t=h&z=10">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
They have also been placed on Paniramio which shows up on Google Earth and to my surprise some have had over 1000 hits<br />
Three articles have been published on Geograph with a fourth in the making, other projects in mind are the Parkway Development at Newbury were I get photos every couple of months or so <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1722791" target="_blank" title="SU4767 : Framework on the building by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4767 : Framework on the building by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/72/27/1722791_26a44a70_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>.<br />
October saw the Fairmile Forgotten Faces Exhibition which was very successful, to that end we are repeating it in February. Hopefully I will be able to display a few photos from the Development I managed to get permission to cover <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2097879" target="_blank" title="SU5985 : Hole in the side by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5985 : Hole in the side by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/09/78/2097879_c94c646a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. I like to think I’ve made a good contribution to the site and will continue to do so.<br />
text/html2011-12-05T19:23:15+00:00Bill NichollsTime for another
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/85
I think it is time I wrote another Blog being as I have not written anything since June. Mind you things have not been easy as we have been getting some building work done round the house so my little trips have been curtailed to a certain extent. That is not to say I have stopped contributing just not quite so many. Up to when the work started I had 500+ in backlog to work with now I’m down to going out on a weekend to get a couple of hundred.<br />
A lot of the photos I have taken are from round the areas local to where I live and work. I have been recording the remaining parts of the old RAF site at Harwell before the housing development takes part of it over like the archaeological dig <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2684707" target="_blank" title="SU4785 : Foundations of a building by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4785 : Foundations of a building by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/68/47/2684707_7a942d8e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. This led to reading the book 'Harwell the enigma' which gave more information and took me to the War Grave cemetery <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2603793" target="_blank" title="SU4989 : Three graves before the cross by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4989 : Three graves before the cross by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/60/37/2603793_4de3d5b4_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> giving me a bit of a shock seeing one in a village normally you come across a few graves or more like at Benson. <br />
This year has taken me to Villages I knew about but never visited <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2656796" target="_blank" title="SU4688 : High Street past the post office by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4688 : High Street past the post office by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/65/67/2656796_c3ff5112_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and the never ending search for benchmarks (thanks Roger) <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2659818" target="_blank" title="SU4588 : Benchmark on the Chancel by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4588 : Benchmark on the Chancel by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/65/98/2659818_644e9e61_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> along with the odd triangulation point <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2702590" target="_blank" title="SU6084 : White Hill Triangulation Pillar by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6084 : White Hill Triangulation Pillar by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/70/25/2702590_592953a4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. I have carried on recording the development of Fairmile hospital in Cholsey and a few months ago saw the finishing of the first phase on the site <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2701737" target="_blank" title="SU5985 : Housing on Ferry Lane by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5985 : Housing on Ferry Lane by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/70/17/2701737_d821cb20_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. The Newbury Parkway development opened in October and to my shame I have not had a chance to get down there to finish off my article <a title="https://www.geograph.ie/article/Park-Way-Development" href="https://www.geograph.ie/article/Park-Way-Development">Link</a> , because of the work on my house I have slow down on the Fairmile side as well.<br />
At least I have managed to get back out along the Kennet at long last (a favourite of mine) to record some more pillboxes <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2716157" target="_blank" title="SU5766 : Looking towards the embrasure by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5766 : Looking towards the embrasure by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/71/61/2716157_3e8540b1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and another walk along there is in the offing. Hopefully in the Christmas holidays I will get back to the Thames to finish my last part to Lechlade.<br />
By then I hope to have a new GPS to record my walks and add to Rudi’s ever increasing list.<br />
text/html2011-06-27T08:11:11+00:00Bill Nicholls51.404546236699 -1.3185182550835Newbury Park Way Development
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/67
It’s a while since I wrote a blog entry and I feel quite embarrassed about this but I have not had anything to write about. My pillbox treks have been curtailed due to the spring and summer growth of weeds and foliage but I do have a couple of other little projects that have kept me occupied.<br />
The first is Fairmile Hospital near where I live where I have been allowed access to follow the development both inside the old building and outside, this at the moment is work in progress and a great number of photos have been amassed but photos of what has been going on will be published in due course.<br />
The second is Newbury Park Way which started back in late 2008. I had realised a little while before that the place was in dire need of refurbishment with old rundown buildings and large car parking areas where buildings had been demolished. I had started Geographing back in January of 2008 so I was relatively new to it and on my prior visits to Newbury had neglected to bring a camera, by late 2008 a camera seemed to be with me all the time and when I noticed the old buildings had been demolished I thought it was time to record what was happening so every time I went shopping in Newbury with my wife I would go off for ten minutes before we left for home and take some photos of what went on. Camp Hobson’s furniture department overlooked the development and I was soon taking advantage of this by photographing down the site from their first floor window asking every time if it was ok. I really don’t think they realised what I was up to even though one of the managers kindly let me take some photos out of the office. The one thing I should have done at the time but never got round to it was to get in touch with Costain who were overall in charge of the development and see it I could go round the site getting photos close hand. In the end I made do with getting photos from over and through the fence. I have now put together an article on the project which I hope you will look at. The development is due to open in Oct 2011 and will comprise of both a shopping centre and dwellings with and underground car park. I still have to finish taking photos and the article is not quite complete but I think there is enough there to show everyone the change that has happened. I think the icing on the cake was finding someone had liked my Geograph photos to an article on Wikipedia.<br />
An article covering the development can be seen in the link below<br />
<br />
<a title="https://www.geograph.ie/article/Park-Way-Development" href="https://www.geograph.ie/article/Park-Way-Development">Link</a><br />
<br />
Since writing this blog Costain who are the main developer invited me for a walkround of the site to get some photo's which I will be adding to the article when I have sorted through them.text/html2011-05-10T13:32:27+00:00Bill Nicholls51.403311106784 -1.1316479906485More from the Kennet
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/55
I’m well overdue for another blog but other things and Bank holidays have taken over and my backlog of photos just got bigger.<br />
I decided to go back to the river Kennet and find a few more pillboxes before the spring growth finally put pay to my treks to look for them. On the last walk I’d got as far as Towney Bridge but had checked out the next area I wanted to visit which was Aldermaston Wharf <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2396479" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Basin by the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Basin by the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/64/2396479_9f951559_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I thought I had found a good place to park but found the place packed so went to the station only to find the tight wads charge at weekends so I found a disused road and parked up. First thing I noticed was what looked like a rail block from the Second World War well at least it looked like it could have been one <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2372221" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Block at the gate by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Block at the gate by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/37/22/2372221_5fdb7b25_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
Onwards to the canal brought me to the towpath now Cycle Network Route 4 <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2399670" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Fingers pointing every where by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Fingers pointing every where by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/96/2399670_5b5e190c_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a><br />
which I followed to Padworth Bridge, passing the lock in the process. There some interesting houses on the section up to the lock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2375525" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Cottages by the canal by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Cottages by the canal by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/37/55/2375525_61b7e3e8_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2372346" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : The Kennet and Avon Tea rooms by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : The Kennet and Avon Tea rooms by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/37/23/2372346_524c39d5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> but after that it is very industrial with a terminal to the left and new buildings being erected <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2383888" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Depot near the river by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Depot near the river by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/38/38/2383888_4b4c3e40_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. A new fence has been built on one section and just near the swing bridge you find a pillbox <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2377766" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : New hedge by the pillbox by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : New hedge by the pillbox by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/37/77/2377766_0ad8aed1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
This one has been partly blocked up and the ricochet wall removed, lighting was installed at one time along with a door. From here you cross the swing bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2377777" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Frouds Swingbridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Frouds Swingbridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/37/77/2377777_2dc2cf9e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> to find a type 28A though sadly this one is completely blocked up so no chance of seeing the internal condition <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2384690" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Embrasure bricked up by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Embrasure bricked up by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/38/46/2384690_35024992_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Padworth road is closed as is the swing bridge for work to be done on the bridge crossing the railway up near the A4 Bath Road so the walk along to footpath I was going to was quiet. To the right is one of the many gravel pits which are strewn round the area <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2386877" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Sifter by the pit by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Sifter by the pit by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/38/68/2386877_4191dead_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. A good opportunity to get some photos for the campaign that is getting started in the area I live due to it being on the shortlist as a possible site <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2387985" target="_blank" title="SU6066 : Danger cold deep water by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6066 : Danger cold deep water by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/38/79/2387985_c87ac44a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
The walk From Padworth Bridge [[[2387955]] along the Kennet back to Aldermaston Wharf is pleasant enough tough the gravel pit on the right does tend to detract from the river on the left <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2388557" target="_blank" title="SU6066 : Starting to turn by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6066 : Starting to turn by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/38/85/2388557_8e03f351_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Nearing the end of the path you come to Padworth Mill <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2391813" target="_blank" title="SU6066 : Padworth Mill by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6066 : Padworth Mill by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/18/2391813_71977fd6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> where there are a couple of ways you can go though I intended to go back to Aldermastion Wharf along Mill Lane which brought me back to the Swing Bridge and Aldermaston Wharf. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2394237" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Lights on the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Lights on the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/42/2394237_3c1dd2bd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
A few photos of the lock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2399620" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Walking up the lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Walking up the lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/96/2399620_2a787e77_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and on to the last stop a third pillbox which I managed to spot but was impossible to get to from the towpath <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2396549" target="_blank" title="SU5967 : Somewhere in that lot by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5967 : Somewhere in that lot by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/65/2396549_0de596bd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> so it was back to the car with a slight detour to get a benchmark <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2399708" target="_blank" title="SU6067 : Parapet of the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6067 : Parapet of the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/39/97/2399708_5e9818b4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> on the road bridge near Aldermaston Station and two more rail blocks I spotted going to the car. A reasonable couple of hours spent walking round one area and one I will return to sooner than later. The data I took with my GPS was out of sync with the camera due to the time change so no route this time.<br />
text/html2011-04-02T22:42:36+00:00Bill Nicholls51.412194296003 -1.1171008477921A Walk along the Kennet
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/42
Time I think for another blog entry and as usual a few weeks after I did the walk. My quest to find more pillboxes to go in my log took me back to the River Kennet which is more of a canal that river. So far I had managed to collect photos and or visit pillboxes from Burghfield Mill down to Sulhamsted lock. This time I started from Tyle Mill as there was a carpark nearby but I was rather shocked to find it was quite full at the time of morning I arrived though I did manage to squeeze in between a couple of cars. Once parked up I spotted a well photographed pillbox which is a type 28A, most of the comments are it is being used as a office but I walked along the towpath to get a couple of photos from across the river where you can see the main embrasure facing downstream. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2313134" target="_blank" title="SU6269 : Tree in front by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6269 : Tree in front by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/31/2313134_359d6f25_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <br />
Back along the towpath to the bridge which is another swing bridge which has been built to replace the original bridge which used to here. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314480" target="_blank" title="SU6269 : Upstream side of the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6269 : Upstream side of the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/44/2314480_8450e1de_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <br />
The pillbox is at the end of the island where Tyle Mill is built sat in the fork though now a large tree grows in front of the embrasure <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314773" target="_blank" title="SU6269 : Pillbox under the tree by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6269 : Pillbox under the tree by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/47/2314773_6b513520_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. <br />
The entrance is bricked up and a door has been fitted. All the loopholes have a wooden board fitted and the smaller embrasures have small holes in the boards. What looks to be a window near the door is information about bats which is what I think the pillbox is use for. Just to one side a toilet has been built for the use of the canal trust members.<br />
I went back across the bridge to the towpath to walk towards Ufton Bridge taking some photos of the narrowboat negotiating the lock then swing bridge. It looks as though once the lock is open the bridge has to be or the bridge would clash with the narrowboat <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314801" target="_blank" title="SU6269 : Close encounters by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6269 : Close encounters by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/48/2314801_efae1f41_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. <br />
I also had a quick look for another pillbox which was marked up but to no avail. Back on the walk I took a photo of the point where Kennet splits off to go through Tyle mill to make it operate, from there it was onto Ufton swing bridge where just beside it stands another type28. This one may have been partly blocked up but the entrance is now half open so it is possible to view inside <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314915" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Half blocked up by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Half blocked up by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/49/2314915_17ef9d24_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. <br />
The main embrasure is open with covered in ivy. A quick walk across the road brings you to a Type 24 pillbox which was made to look like a shed <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2316019" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Type 26 at Ufton Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Type 26 at Ufton Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/60/2316019_fb850d1e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. More like the shed was built and used as a mould then left in place, over the years the wooden exterior rotted away leaving the outline of the shed in place, in fact some of the wood and nails can still be seen <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2315978" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : More wood on the corner by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : More wood on the corner by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/59/2315978_3327fbe1_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2315984" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : A remaining nail by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : A remaining nail by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/59/2315984_72a4893f_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. From here it was back over the bridge and along the towpath to Towney Bridge and lock but before that you can see a pillbox on the opposite side <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2317954" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Growing over the top by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Growing over the top by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/79/2317954_ed1b6fe3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> one I would visit on the way back now I could see how to get to it. Towney bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2318128" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Looking through Towney Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Looking through Towney Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/81/2318128_fc2f3316_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> is arched and takes animals over to the fields on the other side which has another type 28A <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2318796" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Towney Bridge Type 28A by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Towney Bridge Type 28A by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/87/2318796_e30aa16a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
After getting photos of Towney lock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2319437" target="_blank" title="SU6068 : Looking in the lock chamber by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6068 : Looking in the lock chamber by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/94/2319437_409f5d47_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> and the overflow that runs past it was time to head back, but a few more photos down at Ufton bridge and of the Type 28 that was nearby. To get there it was a walk past the Type 24 built like a shed to the end of the wooded area where it stands hidden under a lot of ivy and brambles <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2321597" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : The way through by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : The way through by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/32/15/2321597_9e5efea1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. It is not an easy one to get in so just take it from me it is in good condition inside <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2322952" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : The business end by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : The business end by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/32/29/2322952_6eea81e2_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. I thought I’d get some photos of what I thought was the approach to Ufton Swing bridge then realised it used to be a lock . I can only surmise that the bridge used to be a lift type and both bridge and lock gates needed to be open and when the swing bridge was built the lock was removed because the gates and bridge would have clashed.<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2316069" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Ufton Lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Ufton Lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/60/2316069_507d5fb4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
On the way back to Tyle mill I took another photo of the fork and realised there was a pillbox hidden under the greenery by the willow <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2324161" target="_blank" title="SU6268 : Back to the fork by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6268 : Back to the fork by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/32/41/2324161_db8efa60_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2324170" target="_blank" title="SU6268 : Shape in the ivy by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6268 : Shape in the ivy by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/32/41/2324170_8ddcb759_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> the shape of a Type28 was unmistakeable to me but like Theale mill the pillbox is on private land which is well covered by CCTV, a visit may be possible if the owner is asked but that is for another time. The walk along the Kennet towpath is an easy and enjoyable one to do and can just as easily be done on a bike so if you have nothing to do on a Sunday then a couple of hours along the Kennet is worth the effort.<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314796" target="_blank" title="SU6269 : Fork in the Kennet by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6269 : Fork in the Kennet by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/47/2314796_81b59048_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314807" target="_blank" title="SU6269 : Moored along the bank by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6269 : Moored along the bank by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/48/2314807_d370c522_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314827" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Let it be by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Let it be by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/48/2314827_b0d3141c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2314901" target="_blank" title="SU6168 : Ufton Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6168 : Ufton Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/31/49/2314901_124272e2_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <br />
The trip can be seen here on Rudi's great Geo-Trips <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=254" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=254">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
text/html2011-03-06T22:24:56+00:00Bill Nicholls51.603622482778 -1.5898857651859A Pillbox walk to Radcot Bridge
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/36
This was the first proper trip I have managed this year. It has been a few weeks in organising due to I needed to get a friend to come along with me so we could leave a car at either end, it was about 6 miles and I did not want to walk there and back. I enlisted the help of Tony who knows a thing or two about the stoplines which were built during the war. <br />
We met up at Radcot Bridge and parked up in the hotel car park after asking if it was ok to leave a car there. The trip to Tadpole bridge too us through Faringdon and on the way out along the London road we stopped by an entrance which had some interesting gateposts that were made from stacking ant tank cylinders on top of each other <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2276751" target="_blank" title="SU2995 : One on top of the other by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2995 : One on top of the other by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/67/2276751_d6384b47_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2276764" target="_blank" title="SU2995 : Pillbox on the London Road by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2995 : Pillbox on the London Road by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/67/2276764_7def4d65_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. These had been left over from the Second World War and would have been used to narrow the road down on the approach to Faringdon whilst being covered by a pillbox which was a little down the road. <br />
From here we drove to Buckland and a quick stop to log the Fundamental Benchmark which is opposite the junction to the road leading down to Tadpole Bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2277688" target="_blank" title="SU3397 : Armco by the fencing by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3397 : Armco by the fencing by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/76/2277688_19656410_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. We parked beside the road near the bridge and went looking for any signs of defences used in WW2 but all I found was an eroded benchmark on the bridge parapet <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2277704" target="_blank" title="SP3300 : Benchmark on Tadpole Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3300 : Benchmark on Tadpole Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/77/2277704_ac149273_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. We stared the walk along the Thames path passing a pillbox which I had seen on my last visit. I nearly lost my new camera at this point but lucky it landed on the lens hood from short distance so no damage seemed to have occurred and the camera still worked ok. Our next stop was Rushley Lock which had one of the few weirs which had big paddles that were pulled out to increase the flow <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2279217" target="_blank" title="SP3200 : Rushey Weir by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3200 : Rushey Weir by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/27/92/2279217_90336178_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, it also had a building that looked like it was a bullet for the Upper Thames Patrol that operated during the Second World War. We left Rushley and headed towards Radcot passing two pillboxes that were on the opposite side of the river and on this occasion little chance of a visit at this time due to a shoot going on. <br />
The river meanders a lot along the stretch from Newbridge and this part has some great horseshoe bends which seem almost imposable to navigate round in a boat <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2282644" target="_blank" title="SP3000 : Horseshoe Bend by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3000 : Horseshoe Bend by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/28/26/2282644_3e2ff621_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="43" /></a>. Just before you get to Radcot lock there is a footbridge called Old Man’s Bridge that takes a path over the river <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2282719" target="_blank" title="SP2900 : Old Man's Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP2900 : Old Man's Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/28/27/2282719_7ba51074_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, we crossed here to visit a pillbox that was nearby <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2284024" target="_blank" title="SP2900 : Corrugated pillbox by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP2900 : Corrugated pillbox by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/28/40/2284024_b347ea48_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Radcot lock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2286816" target="_blank" title="SP2900 : Faces at the lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP2900 : Faces at the lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/28/68/2286816_f66d4a32_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> was not far away so after taking to the lock keeper we headed off towards Radcot Bridge and the last of the pillboxes. This was where we came across the find of the day, not one but two WW2 Anti Invasion Defences or Breastworks <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2288101" target="_blank" title="SU2899 : Entrance to the Breastworks by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2899 : Entrance to the Breastworks by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/28/81/2288101_81849872_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Unfortunately they were full of rubbish that had been built up over the years so there was no chance of looking at the inside. We checked the two pillboxes nearby and walked over the last bridge where Tony disappeared off as he notices the second defence works which were a “V” shamed version backing on to a stream <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2291440" target="_blank" title="SU2899 : Vee shaped defence by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2899 : Vee shaped defence by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/29/14/2291440_96fdf5ec_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The whole lot had been filled in so there was no chance again of checking out what the inside was like. We finished at the Hotel with a coffee a reward for a great walk along another section of the Thames Path <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2290007" target="_blank" title="SU2899 : The Swan Hotel Radcot by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2899 : The Swan Hotel Radcot by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/29/00/2290007_a717cd7e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
Geo-Trip can be viewed here <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=229" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=229">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>text/html2011-02-06T09:20:24+00:00Bill Nicholls51.308614143121 -0.63129972420768Benchmarks, canals and pillboxes
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/28
Brookwood, a place I have been to many times with my wife in the past when she went dog training at the village hall. Other times I would have stayed but that was before I came across Geograph. A look at my maps showed a canal near the hall, a railway station down the road and a cemetery on the other side of the railway. Not only that Pirbright camp was nearby though I did not intend to take photo's of the camp I remembered there was a military cemetery worth visiting.<br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2240618" target="_blank" title="SU9457 : Brookwood Village hall by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9457 : Brookwood Village hall by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/06/2240618_99ecf73a_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> the Village hall was the start from which I headed to the station to get some photo's to find a benchmark first <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2240688" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : Brookwood Station by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : Brookwood Station by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/06/2240688_1802060e_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> on the station building which is Victorian in origin and still with many of the features remaining including a fine postbox <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2240730" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : Postbox on the platform by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : Postbox on the platform by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/07/2240730_5f551a89_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a><br />
The station provided me with a way to the cemetery via the tunnel that went to the platforms. From my memory of the cemetery I had seen on the map I quickly located it coming out in the British side through a side gate <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2242223" target="_blank" title="SU9556 : Plinth in the Cemetery by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9556 : Plinth in the Cemetery by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/22/2242223_180b5b19_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. I was not prepared for the size or extent of the place and felt quite humbled to be there. I visited the various parts including the Brookwood memorial though I did not manage to get any photos close up due to a service that was taking place. I finished in the American part <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2245889" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Star Spangled Banner by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Star Spangled Banner by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/58/2245889_c78605b9_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2245899" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Known But To God by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Known But To God by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/58/2245899_629880fa_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2247114" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Inside the chapel by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Inside the chapel by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/71/2247114_0d6b9335_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> that turned out was from the first war. <br />
Back to the Connaught road in Brookwood and onto the Canal passing by the village school and another Benchmark <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2248281" target="_blank" title="SU9557 : Close up of the benchmark by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9557 : Close up of the benchmark by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/82/2248281_55134e8e_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>. The canal tuned out to be the Basingstoke canal <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke_Canal" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke_Canal">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2249384" target="_blank" title="SU9557 : Basingstoke canal by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9557 : Basingstoke canal by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/93/2249384_5b78362f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and I started at the Brookwood Flight of of Locks <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2249351" target="_blank" title="SU9557 : Lock 12 by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9557 : Lock 12 by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/24/93/2249351_6d9be4b4_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> walking to Sheets heath Bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2250806" target="_blank" title="SU9557 : Bridge on the canal by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9557 : Bridge on the canal by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/08/2250806_f1b354cd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> before going back to the hall for lunch. I had thought we were going home but my wife decided to stay longer giving me another couple of hours to explore so it was off to the Pribright bridge end of the canal only to spot a pillbox along the towpath <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2254036" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : On the left by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : On the left by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/40/2254036_b0057aa7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> this was a Type 26 Prefabricated version the first one I had come across. From here I walked along the Deepcut flight of locks <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2256292" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Through the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Through the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/62/2256292_7b17b9b5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> passing by the remains of the old railway bridge that took the line to Bisley Camp <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2257645" target="_blank" title="SU9456 : Wall by the bank by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9456 : Wall by the bank by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/76/2257645_849b7e28_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> and along to Cowshot bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2257701" target="_blank" title="SU9356 : Cowshot Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9356 : Cowshot Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/77/2257701_de2b6caf_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> where I found the canal had been drained for work to be done on the locks <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2257698" target="_blank" title="SU9356 : Dry canal towards the lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9356 : Dry canal towards the lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/76/2257698_56dbccb3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. I ended my walk at Lock 18 <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2258635" target="_blank" title="SU9356 : Dry lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU9356 : Dry lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/25/86/2258635_2bdc7890_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a> where the canal was full of water then going back where my wife was waiting for me to go home. It was a good day's Geographing where I got photos of benchmarks, canals and a pillbox, not to mention the station and cemetery. My walk can be seen here <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=188" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=188">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
text/html2011-02-14T18:33:20+00:00Bill Nicholls52.188522262691 -2.2281458481092A Worcester Walk
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/31
Well this little walk took place around a month ago and it has taken me that long to post the photos. I'd gone down there to get the van serviced so while it was being done I went for a little walk round Worcester. To get to the centre meant going down the old A44 Bromyard road where I wanted to visit a church I had seen. While on the walk I kept an eye out for benchmarks and was rewarded by finding one on the Garabaldi public house. Next stop was the church which is called St John in Bedwardine, <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2263843" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : St John in Bedwardine by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : St John in Bedwardine by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/38/2263843_26d07ef8_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> this turned out to be a really fine place <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2262714" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : Nave to the Chancel by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : Nave to the Chancel by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/27/2262714_2cd16dfe_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a> though at the time some school children were having a talk about the place. The church dates back to Norman times and does retain a few of the features<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2262755" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : Hagioscope in the pillar by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : Hagioscope in the pillar by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/27/2262755_60f8ea8d_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>. From there is was onto Cripplegate park near the cricket ground and a fountain which is in there <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2263948" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : Fountain in the park by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : Fountain in the park by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/39/2263948_2ca6e546_120x120.jpg" width="90" height="120" /></a>. I exited it near Worcester Bridge but went down to the rail Viaduct to see if a benchmark was on there. I was not disappointed and what's more standing on the side of the road were a couple of old World War Two roadblocks placed there by the Environment agency <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2264251" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : These look familiar by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : These look familiar by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/42/2264251_c787b8ef_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. Back towards the Bridge and what I found an interesting building and in the past may well have been a booking office for either a ferry or boat trip but turned out to be the pumping station for the power station which was opposite. It now sits derelict, testament to once what was there. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2265023" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : An old pumping station by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : An old pumping station by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/50/2265023_c14ee198_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>.<br />
On to the bridge and a search for benchmarks which came up with nothing so a few photos of the nearby public houses and one of a ghost sign for Mellors Sauce Stores <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2265046" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : Mellors Sauce stores by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : Mellors Sauce stores by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/50/2265046_e1a35ac1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. From there to All Saints church which was not open but did provide a fine benchmark <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2265867" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : All Saints Church by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : All Saints Church by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/58/2265867_639b4612_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. By that time I felt I'd better go back to the garage to pick up the van but a few shots down the River Severn were in order then back up the A44 stopping off for a few of Worcester County Cricket Ground <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2267155" target="_blank" title="SO8454 : The cricket ground by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8454 : The cricket ground by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/71/2267155_e0c7b1c1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. Another bench mark popped up near the telephone exchange. Near the garage I had phone call saying it would be another half hour, this gave me a chance to get some photos of a derelict mill and the rail bridge over the A44 <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268594" target="_blank" title="SO8254 : An old flour mill? by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SO8254 : An old flour mill? by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/85/2268594_8f45d02c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>.<br />
I had not finished as on the way home I stopped off at two places for another two benchmarks <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2268730" target="_blank" title="SP1729 : The Coach and Horses by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP1729 : The Coach and Horses by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/26/87/2268730_08178d0e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="90" /></a>. Another good geograph session done.<br />
I've uploaded the route here <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=200" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=200">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> but it takes in the walk round Worcester and the drive to where I took photo's of the benchmarks on the way home.text/html2011-01-09T22:54:56+00:00Bill Nicholls51.538168197795 -1.1290847423176A Bridge Too Far
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/22
Seems over the Christmas holidays I find a bridge that is going to be demolished. Last year Network rail demolished two bridges at South Morton <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1637944" target="_blank" title="SU5688 : Cranes and peckers by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5688 : Cranes and peckers by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/63/79/1637944_d40bdc42_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> with the intention of fitting two bridge decks as it was they underestimated the deck weight and the fitting of the deck had to be postponed for a week while they changed the crane. It was fitted the following weekend at 2 in the morning.<br />
This year while on a trip to Reading on the train I noticed they were doing some work on a bridge near Goring. So being a nosy person I went to investigate only to find they were going to demolish a bridge. This was to take place over the Christmas period because at Reading they were doing some major work there by adding new sections to existing bridges as part of the station expansion. <br />
I felt the bridge should be documented so I went down and took photos of both temporary bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2196160" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : New bridge at Spring Farm by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : New bridge at Spring Farm by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/19/61/2196160_85a6d043_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and the old Brunel one which was being demolished as part of the programme of replacing the bridges that were too low to allow the new goods wagons through.<br />
I managed to get down to the bridge a few days before work began on demolition though the weather was a disappointment and there was a haze of mist about <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2222387" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : Back to the Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : Back to the Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/23/2222387_4ff74613_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The next day was better and a few more photos were taken though I was surprised to see a train going through <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2224322" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : Under the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : Under the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/43/2224322_5e107a9d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. While taking photos one of the workers spotted me and asked what I was up to, I told him and he said watch out for the supervisor but to carry on. On the way home he stopped me again and this time his supervisor came along to see what I was up to but after explaining he said to pop down and see him the next day and they would sort out a safe place for me to get some photos. Work was starting at 4am so I thought after what happened with the timetable at South Morton the previous year I’d come along around midday when the work should be going on <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2224360" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : Waiting by the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : Waiting by the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/43/2224360_6f863d6b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. This proved the right thing as they were laying the rail protection when I arrived <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2225701" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : The last shot by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : The last shot by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/57/2225701_b91bc758_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The question was do I come back later or leave it till the next day to see the remains. Dinner got in the way and I left it till the morning only to find the bridge still in one piece and the machines moved out of the way. The worker I saw the previous day told me the work had been delayed due to them having to take up the rail protection to let a ballast train trough and the work was running late so management pulled the plug on the work at midnight sending a lot of disappointed workers home. I went along to the supervisors cabin to ask what had happened and he told me the story. Turned out this was the last in a list of work which had been going on. Reading bridge was the major work but also Purley where they lowered the track bed because they could not demolish the bridge due to a preservation order brought about by some local people, the bridge at Redbridge near Oxford had been demolished. I said looks like it had been a bridge too far which brought a groan, the bridge had been granted a stay of execution for now till Easter when the next work slot was to be unless it could be worked in beforehand. At least I managed to get a couple of photos of the bridge from the other side before going home all I need to do now is find out when the bridge will be demolished. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2225754" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : A bridge too far by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : A bridge too far by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/57/2225754_1da6ffff_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
On the 25th December 2011 the bridge was demolished. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2740283" target="_blank" title="SU6082 : Finally gone by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU6082 : Finally gone by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/74/02/2740283_d7873442_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
text/html2011-01-18T22:02:06+00:00Bill Nicholls51.702248252393 -1.5166433277294Last trek of the year
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/24
Like most of you at Christmas it is a time to spend eating (note no drinking) and spending time with your family of loved ones so by the time Monday after came round I was crawling the walls to get out. My wife must have sensed I was planning something as I had been looking at some maps trying to decide where to go. A further walk down the Kennet and the Blue Line or go back to the upper Thames and collect more of the Red Line. The lines I’m referring to are the old WW2 stoplines which were built to stop the German invasion if it happened. So far I have managed to get photos from Pangbourne to Duxford in Oxfordshire and plot them on Google maps.<br />
After pondering I decided it was the Thames or Isis as it should be called where I was going. There were three pillboxes along the Thames between Tadpole Bride and Chimney with a further one just upstream from Tadpole Bridge. I had heard from one person the pillboxes were blocked so was just expecting to get photos of the exterior.<br />
Where to start was the first problem which I had expected to be at Chimney Nature reserve but I found people had been parking at Tadpole Bridge so that is where I started. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2225797" target="_blank" title="SP3300 : Ice on the water by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3300 : Ice on the water by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/57/2225797_7b9950b5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
The bridge is in Cotswold stone from the look of things and dates from the late 18th century, the earliest reference to it being in 1784. From here I walked in the Chimney direction downstream being amazed by the way the river meanders in a series of bends as it heads towards Oxford. The going was easy though slippery for all the snow which had fallen and in places care was needed just in case I ended up in the Thames which I had noticed had ice flows on it from all the freezing weather <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2227587" target="_blank" title="SP3400 : More ice on the bend by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3400 : More ice on the bend by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/75/2227587_3e4dc833_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. After about 10 min walking I came to the first pillbox which was on a bend, this proved to be blocked as I heard so a few photos were taken of the exterior and condition. This it turned out to be worth doing as in some places the concrete was subject to frost damage. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2228495" target="_blank" title="SP3400 : Gate in the entrance by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3400 : Gate in the entrance by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/22/84/2228495_8a8b829b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
This pillbox is on the edge of the Chimney Nature reserve along the Thames path so from there it was a walk to Tenfoot Bridge which is a footbridge that spans the Thames <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2233372" target="_blank" title="SU3599 : Tenfoot Bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3599 : Tenfoot Bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/23/33/2233372_f9c82f8f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, just up form there is another impressive pillbox just inside the reserve. I climbed the fence to get to it but had to jump over a frozen drainage ditch first. On inspection the pillbox is in good condition and stands on the biggest base I have seen yet with a staircase to get to the entrance <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2234614" target="_blank" title="SU3599 : Back with a staircase by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3599 : Back with a staircase by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/23/46/2234614_67083926_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Looking inside showed that the local bird population had squatters rights though they were not around at the time. <br />
Back to the path and on to the last of the Pillboxes I was visiting along the reserve which again was in good condition though not such a large base though again a ditch had to be crossed but lucky some of the grass had formed a frozen bridge to cross it carefully <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2234664" target="_blank" title="SP3500 : Strictly no Mooring by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SP3500 : Strictly no Mooring by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/23/46/2234664_1b226b30_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. A quick look round the back to the Thames path, if you carry on downstream you come to Duxford and then Shifford but I headed back to Tadpole Bridge where a few photos were taken of the Trout (very busy) then on upstream to a forth Pillbox which again turned out to be for bats but a bonus was had as there is a Bench mark on the base. That was it time to go home but before doing so I spotted the <br />
Second bench mark a flush bracket on the Bridge by gate, the end of a good day’s geographing and probably my first route for Rudi’s Geo-Trips. I think I have finally found a use for my Etrix.<br />
You can now follow the trip on here. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip.php?osos" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip.php?osos">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>text/html2012-05-14T15:17:29+00:00Bill Nicholls51.693720542572 -1.646943079903Back to the Thames
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/125
Kelmscott is a place I had seen on the map and heard about from a friend and also in the middle of a walk I needed to do to log the remaining pillboxes along the Thames so after finally working out how to visit them I set out. The plan was to do my last section in two halves due to not having a partner to help out in the logistics (ie car both ends), it turned out to be the right way. The first part was to walk towards Radcot, then in a couple of weeks go towards Lechlade. <br />
Kelmscott is a small village famous for being the home of William Morris the designer. First place on the list was the St Georges Church <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2935645" target="_blank" title="SU2499 : St George over the wall by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2499 : St George over the wall by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/93/56/2935645_c18e579c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> which was built around 1190 AD and I might add looked old. After finding a benchmark I was surprised to find the door open (most are locked) and even more surprised to find the place so untouched. What’s more there were wall paintings dating back to the middle ages <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2934525" target="_blank" title="SU2499 : Detail of the wall painting by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2499 : Detail of the wall painting by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/93/45/2934525_ce4ca359_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
From the church it was off to the river after photographing the old school which was opposite the church <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2935651" target="_blank" title="SU2499 : The Old School in Kelmscott by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2499 : The Old School in Kelmscott by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/93/56/2935651_2e5f6a67_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. You pass the Manor, the home of William Morris, on the way to the Thames and another benchmark which is on the barn. A little way along you pass the first pillbox which is hidden away under a lot of ivy but is accessible and in reasonable condition though tiring to get a photo of, the front is nigh on impossible as a steep bank drops away to a stream in front of it <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2938204" target="_blank" title="SU2598 : Pillbox front by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2598 : Pillbox front by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/93/82/2938204_dd813d2d_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. <br />
Walking on to the Thames I could go left or right but opted for the latter as I could see the next pillbox <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2939214" target="_blank" title="SU2498 : Back of the pillbox by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2498 : Back of the pillbox by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/93/92/2939214_adc60d9b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. This one was found in good condition with rusting screws at the base that would have held down the camouflage netting. I then walked back the way I had come to the track in my quest for the third pillbox. This was found along a hedge line back off the river <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2942659" target="_blank" title="SU2598 : Number three by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2598 : Number three by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/26/2942659_213e01a3_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. This was another in good condition though the concrete on the lower ricochet wall was breaking away and getting in you had to watch out for barbed wire dumped there. Looking towards the river you can see the fourth pillbox so walking straight across the field I soon ran foul of flood water in the grass though lucky it was only shallow and I did not get my feet wet. <br />
The pillbox is situated on a bend under a tree which had grown in the intervening years. This again was in good condition though like the others quite messy inside with rubbish. The inside is also suffering from frost damage with the concrete crumbling away showing the rebar <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2945156" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Grafton Lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Grafton Lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/51/2945156_8d0dd075_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The pillbox is close to the river undercutting the base making front shots impossible <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2943250" target="_blank" title="SU2598 : Pallet by the pillbox by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2598 : Pallet by the pillbox by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/32/2943250_9ceecf85_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> . <br />
Walking on from here it was off <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2943261" target="_blank" title="SU2698 : Bend on the Thames by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2698 : Bend on the Thames by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/32/2943261_1dbe3126_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> to the next pillbox which is a little way before Grafton Lock. This is another very close to the river which goes to show how much the river has eroded over the years <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2944568" target="_blank" title="SU2698 : River beside it by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2698 : River beside it by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/45/2944568_7a932ef0_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The pillbox tilts slightly towards the river and inside is a puddle from the recent floods. Again the pillbox is in good condition apart from the usual rubbish.<br />
Grafton lock <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2945156" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Grafton Lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Grafton Lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/51/2945156_8d0dd075_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> is small but well kept like all I have visited along the upper Thames and after a few photos <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2946237" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Along Grafton lock by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Along Grafton lock by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/62/2946237_46c937d4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> I headed off for the last pillbox. This was not so far from Radcot which was round the next couple of bends <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2946374" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Further along the Thames by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Further along the Thames by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/63/2946374_89c82baa_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. This pillbox was set back off the river <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2946381" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Open stretch by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Open stretch by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/63/2946381_10e2a8fd_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and in as good condition as the others <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2946473" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Looking from the downstream side by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Looking from the downstream side by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/64/2946473_7a371d19_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2946479" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Downstream to the Thames by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Downstream to the Thames by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/64/2946479_3510edaf_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> I had visited though, like all the rest, people had thrown rubbish through the embrasure rather than taken it home. After some photos of the pillbox and the cowslips <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2946482" target="_blank" title="SU2799 : Cowslips and grass by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2799 : Cowslips and grass by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/64/2946482_9f6a0960_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> it was off along the Thames path the way I had come, stopping off at Grafton lock to see if there was a benchmark. I asked the keeper who said he had not seen one only to find out when I got home it was behind the gate. Oh well, if I am back again I will find it. <br />
The next time I come back will be to head towards Lechlade and finish off what I set out to do a few years ago and record all the pillboxes along the Thames.<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2949246" target="_blank" title="SU2598 : Bend in the Thames by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU2598 : Bend in the Thames by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/94/92/2949246_d9c0c9e4_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="36" /></a><br />
There is also be a Geotrip to accompany this blog. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=377" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=377">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
text/html2012-04-18T13:10:30+00:00Bill Nicholls51.404461803733 -1.3041431637857One of those fill In Days
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/117
Sunday the 8th was one of those fill in days for me. I never had any plans to go anywhere so thought I’d fill in a few of the places on my Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway map. I had go as far as Shaw near Newbury and now needed to trace the route over the two water courses and onto the main railway. Stopping off at Shaw I parked up near the River Lambourn and walked along the path to see if any of the bridge remained. On getting near I noticed a footbridge had been built near where the bridge would have stood this gave an idea as to the position <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2903961" target="_blank" title="SU4867 : Cyclists dismount by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4867 : Cyclists dismount by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/39/2903961_590f8412_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Looking towards the Hitachi Capital grounds you could see the cutting side and a concrete faced bank near the footbridge which on closer examination showed some cast pillars which and been cut off and not removed just smoothed over with concrete caps <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2903958" target="_blank" title="SU4867 : Some remains by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4867 : Some remains by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/39/2903958_e6869b51_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. That justified my visiting the place. Opposite all that could be seen was a retaining wall which lined the old railway <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2903888" target="_blank" title="SU4867 : Wall on the line by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4867 : Wall on the line by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/38/2903888_937c852f_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. This may have been built after the closure to form a boundary as I’d have thought this would have just been a dirt embankment along the field originally. <br />
Next step was to get to the A4 Bath road and check out where the railway crossed.<br />
The place was not hard to find and was marked by a hedge one side <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2904111" target="_blank" title="SU4867 : The Railway crossed here by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4867 : The Railway crossed here by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/41/2904111_6f55a5c1_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and some wasteland the other but nothing remained that could be seen. Behind the hedge a carpark was built on the old line <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2904694" target="_blank" title="SU4867 : Carpark on the line by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4867 : Carpark on the line by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/46/2904694_ebc1acb6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
Try as I might I could not find a way to view the Kennet so I will be returning for that at a later time but I did suss out the line as it went through the Bone Lane industrial estate and there are even two buildings built on the line <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2906510" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : Two on the line by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : Two on the line by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/65/2906510_ba46d41e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Along the Hambridge road the bridge has been filled in though two large pipes still run across the old line making its position <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2906522" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : Where the bridge was by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : Where the bridge was by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/65/2906522_921656c0_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Over the road Speedy hire now sits beside the old line and if you look though the yard gate you can see part of the bed and embankment <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2906530" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : In the yard by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : In the yard by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/65/2906530_f041f635_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The railway would have then run into the main line but now a small industrial estate has been built there so tracking it is nigh on impossible other than by looking at the map <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2906540" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : Small estate by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : Small estate by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/65/2906540_cb5ae012_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
Viewing the mail main line from the Boundary Road Bridge you can see where the line would have joined after going under the bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2905328" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : It would have been there by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : It would have been there by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/53/2905328_62ab2323_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2905335" target="_blank" title="SU4766 : Buffer in the weeds by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4766 : Buffer in the weeds by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/53/2905335_dd8e65e2_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>.<br />
I still have to return to Newbury Station and check it out but I am not hopeful on that score. From Newbury you would have travelled down to Winchester and Southampton but the will be another article as far as I’m concerned and more map checking. Sorry no Geotrip this time but I will put the photos on as I post them.<br />
text/html2012-03-12T20:43:07+00:00Bill Nicholls51.467133624513 -1.2600024690384Travelling along the Didcot to Newbury Line
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/110
This is a project I have had going for a while and am in the process of writing an article for I had been meaning to get round to catching up with more photos for a while and today seemed like the time to do this. The area to cover went from Hermitage to Thatcham and to my shame had to be covered by driving from place to place; even this took around two hours. The first place to stop was just outside Hermitage by the M4 embankment this is where the Didcot to Newbury railway was cut in two <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2848885" target="_blank" title="SU5174 : From the fence to the embankment by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5174 : From the fence to the embankment by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/84/88/2848885_ae79d4c6_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Up to there the rail bed is still used by local people taking their dogs or themselves out for a walk as the path is well trod to Hampstead Norreys <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2848881" target="_blank" title="SU5174 : Path through the saplings by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5174 : Path through the saplings by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/84/88/2848881_7d62739b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <br />
Going round the other side I pass a house that looks to be built on the old line then I pull into a close called Pinewood crescent <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2848976" target="_blank" title="SU5173 : Pinewood Crescent by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5173 : Pinewood Crescent by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/84/89/2848976_acfa0b51_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, now there is a clue and I’m looking for Pinewood halt. The area I am looking at is a cutting <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2849154" target="_blank" title="SU5174 : Along to Pinewood by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5174 : Along to Pinewood by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/84/91/2849154_f03c9d3e_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and runs to the M4 embankment <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2849174" target="_blank" title="SU5174 : Bread delivery by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5174 : Bread delivery by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/84/91/2849174_418a65c9_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> Though the signs are there for the railway there is no sign of the halt. The house I passed on the road turned out to be on top of the cutting <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2850508" target="_blank" title="SU5174 : Bending past the house by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5174 : Bending past the house by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/05/2850508_a8b1e379_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and doubtful anything to do with the railway.<br />
From here I drive up the various local roads to look for signs of a bridge or crossing and come across one down Chapel Lane <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2850922" target="_blank" title="SU5173 : Top of the bridge by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5173 : Top of the bridge by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/09/2850922_d2264bd5_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Stopping near the playground which takes some of the line over I get some photos of the bridge, there is a nasty looking fence stopping you going through to view the other side though <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2850911" target="_blank" title="SU5173 : Bridge at the Halt by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5173 : Bridge at the Halt by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/09/2850911_8360d010_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. A footpath runs up to the right s you look at the bridge taking you back to the road. <br />
I could not find any benchmarks and on one side some rather unsociable conifers have grown up obscuring the view in the Newbury direction. It was not until I got home and looked at the book on the railway I discovered that this may well have been Pinewood Halt. A return trip will be needed. I finished up and drove round the back of the village to get a photo of an embankment I had seen which was on a bend <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2855449" target="_blank" title="SU5173 : Embankment on the bend by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5173 : Embankment on the bend by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/54/2855449_80c2f172_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> Looking across from the top it is clear that once there must have been a bridge here now you look at a house that sits in the area that was cleared. Back on the road and a drive to another bridge on Malston Road <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2855723" target="_blank" title="SU5072 : Through to Hermitage by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5072 : Through to Hermitage by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/57/2855723_eec2ef43_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> then along Station road where at the end you find Hermitage Station <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2855967" target="_blank" title="SU5072 : Hermitage Station by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5072 : Hermitage Station by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/59/2855967_ea75994b_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> the house is still there but little else and the goods yard is now used by a drilling company.<br />
Back on the road and a stop off at Long Lane in Currage where there is a bridge remaining though the original parapet looks like it is cut down. Did not try to get down the old track bed and the way down was through gorse but I managed to get a photo from the embankment top<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2857059" target="_blank" title="SU5071 : Bridge from the field by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5071 : Bridge from the field by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/70/2857059_ee7ad716_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The other side had a timber yard on the track bed so it is possible to view that side as well. From here I drove to Newbury Shaw Cemetery for a look round and also view the railway where it ran past the bottom. Not much to be seen as there are now some house built on the track bed <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2857187" target="_blank" title="SU4868 : Newbury Shaw Cemetery by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4868 : Newbury Shaw Cemetery by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/71/2857187_a50b7a94_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2857204" target="_blank" title="SU4868 : Bungalow on the line by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4868 : Bungalow on the line by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/72/2857204_61371b14_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
The last section to do was in Thatcham where I had noticed a bridge parapet but on getting there I found the bridge had been filled in up to the arch on one side and the other had the parapet removed and all that was left was a bank. A company called Hitachi Capital had a building built on the site now and the track bed was now a carpark <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2858671" target="_blank" title="SU4868 : End of the carpark by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4868 : End of the carpark by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/86/2858671_9e40f635_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. A further visit round here will also be needed and I have now plotted the route through the town of Newbury and need to find the two bridges that crossed watercourses. <br />
I felt it was time to go home but I stopped off at a couple of places on the way back to get a shot of the line <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2858686" target="_blank" title="SU4970 : Along the line by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4970 : Along the line by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/86/2858686_9b6b6443_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> and one of a level crossing at Fishers Farm <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2858923" target="_blank" title="SU4970 : Towards the crossing by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU4970 : Towards the crossing by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/85/89/2858923_b7279415_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> before going back to the Uplands Bridge <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2860074" target="_blank" title="SU5277 : Looking through to Compton by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU5277 : Looking through to Compton by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/86/00/2860074_d238064c_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> Enough to be getting on with for now but more work is needed before I have finished and this will be back round Newbury.text/html2012-03-23T18:58:32+00:00Bill Nicholls51.072735876498 -1.4946804561589A walk round Kings Somborne.
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/111
Has the sound of a rural community about it and was a place I had heard about for a while as my wife had been there dog training, so when she said she was off there again one Saturday I <br />
said I would come along. I looked on my OS maps for the place to see what was worth visiting and to plan a route to take. <br />
We got to the village hall <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2860240" target="_blank" title="SU3530 : Kings Somborne Village Hall by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3530 : Kings Somborne Village Hall by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/86/02/2860240_fabcaea7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> around 9 and by 9:15 I was checking my map for which way to go and setting the GPS, the offer of going off road in a 4X4 though tempting did not have the allure of the trek I had worked out. First stop was the village church <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2861174" target="_blank" title="SU3631 : War memorial and Church by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3631 : War memorial and Church by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/86/11/2861174_d97d250d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> which turned out to be very nice having a stained glass window called the Sopwith Memorial <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2864175" target="_blank" title="SU3630 : The Sopwith memorial by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3630 : The Sopwith memorial by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/86/41/2864175_3d09ce42_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="85" /></a> (more on that later) once finished there I had to decide which direction I took and noticed a trig point not far do that was the way I went. The trig point turned out to be at the top of a steep hill nearly hidden in a hedge and could only be viewed from the front the top was hidden in the hedge. <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2868542" target="_blank" title="SU3631 : Trig pillar in the ivy by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3631 : Trig pillar in the ivy by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/86/85/2868542_15d3399d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a><br />
Back towards Kings Somborne then a right turn along a footpath towards Houghton soon took me down hill to the Test way <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2870272" target="_blank" title="SU3531 : Along the Test Way by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3531 : Along the Test Way by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/02/2870272_a2df56e9_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. I had spotted this on the map and thought it looked like a dismantled railway <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2870587" target="_blank" title="SU3531 : Further along by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3531 : Further along by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/05/2870587_f8172820_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>, getting there just proved I was right <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2870595" target="_blank" title="SU3531 : An old Kissing Gate by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3531 : An old Kissing Gate by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/05/2870595_5519fbab_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a> though any relation to the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton line was out. Some photos were in order <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2870601" target="_blank" title="SU3531 : An old crossing by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3531 : An old crossing by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/06/2870601_d1ba8373_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> then off along the path leading to the River Test which is full of privately owned fisheries <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2871903" target="_blank" title="SU3431 : Another sign by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3431 : Another sign by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/19/2871903_8094020d_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> so no walking along the river side <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2871900" target="_blank" title="SU3431 : Bridge Suitable by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3431 : Bridge Suitable by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/19/2871900_9425b104_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. Once in Haughton it was heading towards the church for more photos and a benchmark I spotted on the old school <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2875275" target="_blank" title="SU3432 : The old school by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3432 : The old school by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/52/2875275_3f6bd847_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a>. The church turned out to be very pleasant <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2877934" target="_blank" title="SU3432 : All Saints Houghton by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3432 : All Saints Houghton by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s2.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/87/79/2877934_20751913_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> with a big rectory beside it. Country vicars seemed well off in the old days. <br />
Back along the road and back to Kings Somborne going over the Test again and joining the old rail line to Horsebridge Station <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://www.horsebridgestation.co.uk/history.html" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://www.horsebridgestation.co.uk/history.html">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
Unfortunately the place is not open to the public and time did not allow me to phone and ask if I could get a few photos of the place, heading off from there and passing a pub that was being painted and did not seem to be open <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2891516" target="_blank" title="SU3430 : Paint the pub day by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3430 : Paint the pub day by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/89/15/2891516_6e2f1d99_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> ( I was dying for a drink) it was off along the road to Kings Somborne and a sandwich. On getting back to the hall I noticed two lads playing football, numbnuts would be more to the point as they had no regard for the cars parked behind the goal and I noticed my car get hit so I moved it out of the way; so be warned if you park there, the local numpties don’t care if your car is hit.<br />
After a coffee I went back to the church for a few more internal shots, it was then I looked at the window again then the information typed up nearby. The window was dedicated to Sir Thomas Sopwith who I remember from WW1 and the Sopwith Camel. I noticed no grave in the churchyard when I had been round and found he was buried in Little Somborne. With that I was off on a 2.7 mile walk <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2894596" target="_blank" title="SU3732 : A long walk by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3732 : A long walk by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/89/45/2894596_664735cf_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2894621" target="_blank" title="SU3832 : The end of the road by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3832 : The end of the road by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/89/46/2894621_5ee4d946_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> to the church to get a photo <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2902287" target="_blank" title="SU3832 : Tommy Sopwith - schoolboys' hero by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3832 : Tommy Sopwith - schoolboys' hero by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/22/2902287_e08d21a6_120x120.jpg" width="80" height="120" /></a>. I got there as it started to rain and found the old church open as well so after getting more photo's <a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2902459" target="_blank" title="SU3832 : View from under the tree by Bill Nicholls"><img alt="SU3832 : View from under the tree by Bill Nicholls" loading="lazy" src="https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/90/24/2902459_20e537c7_120x120.jpg" width="120" height="80" /></a> the GPS was turned off and I headed back to meet my wife who was waiting for me. I had left the Village at 3:15 an managed to get back at 4:50 quite tired from the walk but pleased with the day.<br />
A Geotrip of the walk can be seen here. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=365" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=365">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
text/html2012-02-02T12:53:48+00:00Bill Nicholls51.538873664512 -1.2300025794563A Productive Sunday
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/92
My wedding anniversary and what better way to celebrate that to go out wandering (well my wife was off on one her doggy days). As I have been (for want of a better word) researching into the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway for a future article on Geograph I thought I had better get down to Didcot Station and get some photos of the platform and any remnants of the old DN&SR. Didcot Station was opened in 1884 and renamed Didcot Parkway in 1985 when the place was modernised to become a park and ride station. [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2792488">2792488</a>]]<br />
<span class="nowrap"><a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didcot_Parkway_railway_station" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didcot_Parkway_railway_station">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
In doing so the bay platform for the DN&SR was removed along with the one for the local services to Swindon. You can still see the platform edges of both by the car parks. The car park on the DN&SR extends down the old line and towards the cow lane bridge <br />
[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2792483">2792483</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2792478">2792478</a>]]<br />
Once done it was off to catch up on some benchmarks I had missed. Two in Long Wittenham [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2786766">2786766</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2786781">2786781</a>]](missed the one at the church) but I did get a bonus of a fire mark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2786776">2786776</a>]], then another on Clifton Hamden Bridge. Into Dorchester and a failure as the BM on the old Plough public house was nowhere to be seen (mist likely rendered over) but I did get a good shot of the one on Dorchester Abbey which I missed the last time [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2787951">2787951</a>]]. After a bite for lunch it was off to Blewbury Downs or Churn bridge where I left my car. My intention was to go to Lowbury Hill and the trig pillar and back via Churn Halt then home. <br />
The morning had been misty so I had hoped it would have cleared by the afternoon but it was not to be, it still clung around though not quite as bad.<br />
First call was the Churn bridge and a couple of photos of where the line went [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2793047">2793047</a>]] and one of course the bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2792809">2792809</a>]]. From here there are various paths you can take for the Ridgeway though I took the easy one along a concrete road to Lower Chance farm which looks like it is a disused MOD property [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2793081">2793081</a>]]. Here you can turn right and go to Churn bridge but at this point I decided to head on to Lowbury Hill. The going was muddy round by the gallops [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2794077">2794077</a>]] but once on the Ridgeway it was fine[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2794083">2794083</a>]] . After getting on to the Ridgeway proper I noticed a large hill appear [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2794170">2794170</a>]]. I had thought of the downs as relatively flat but up here Lowbury hill stuck out. Another ten minutes walking and it was off up the hill and the trig pillar [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2795502">2795502</a>]] which is now the 14th one on my list. A quick look round at the area showing looking at where the Roman Temple was <br />
[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2795579">2795579</a>]] and it was back down the other side towards the Ridgeway. I took a different route back [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2795741">2795741</a>]] and headed towards the Churn Halt Bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2797145">2797145</a>]] . This one was found in a damaged state with the parapet missing on one side[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2797159">2797159</a>]] and a quick scan for benchmarks proved fruitless. Looking both ways along the bridge showed it was very over grown but I went down to the track bed to get a couple of photos of the bridge anyway. The whole track bed by the bridge was littered with rubbish where people (travellers?) had dumped old washing machines, TVs and lots of stripped out cable husks along with some rather large lumps of concrete though I would not put that down to fly tipping. After some photos of the bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2799048">2799048</a>]] it was off in search of the halt though this did take some doing with all the dense shrubbery [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2799064">2799064</a>]]. Eventually I came across what I thought was the halt [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2799073">2799073</a>]] then a platform appeared [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2799793">2799793</a>]]. I had not realised it was an island type and the railway had gone both sides. One thing I did notice was the halt was in the middle of nowhere and I really can’t understand why it was built <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churn_railway_station" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churn_railway_station">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
But reading I found out it was it was built as a temporary stop to accommodate a competition held by the National Rifle Association in 1888 but after the Association complained about the facilities there and the improved ones at Bisley it moved there.<br />
The platform is mostly still there [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2799899">2799899</a>]] though is becoming rather damaged through erosion and trees growing [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2799803">2799803</a>]]. After hearing shotgun go off nearby I thought it was time to head back to the car so it was off along the footpath and home. I felt the new GPS had done a good job. Next trip will be a comparison with the old Etrex. The Geo Trip can be seen here <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=335" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=335">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
<br />
text/html2012-02-29T12:57:27+00:00Bill Nicholls51.394631891723 -1.1749324184499Poor pickings
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/103
My travels of late have not been up to much and an update from Newbury parkway [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2823417">2823417</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2823415">2823415</a>]] along with a short trip along the Upton cutting [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2823965">2823965</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2823968">2823968</a>]] and some local photos [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2822483">2822483</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2822172">2822172</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2825106">2825106</a>]] near me only meant that I should get out again.<br />
Sunday proved nice and sunny if with a hint of cold in the air. Time for another quick walk along the river Kennet. My next walk would take from Woolhampton for a couple of miles to Migeham Lock and find the next lot of remaining pillboxes. <br />
A quick photocall round Woolhampton was first on the agenda which seemed a small village with quite a few old building and a rather nice Victorian water fountain [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2825175">2825175</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2825181">2825181</a>]]<br />
Once done it was off along the Kennet towpath following people out for a Sunday morning walk [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2826541">2826541</a>]]. Not far from Woolhampton Lock you come to Oxlease swing Bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2826724">2826724</a>]] where I spotted a few canoeists coming under the bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2826845">2826845</a>]]. This was well worth getting some photos of as they ducked under the bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2828087">2828087</a>]]. On going round the other side to get more pictures I noticed more canoeists heading towards me [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2828079">2828079</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2828084">2828084</a>]] this turned out to be a prequel for the Devizes to London race and they were not hanging about. From then until I finished my walk all the photos I took had canoeists in [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2828425">2828425</a>]] <br />
The next lock along was a hive of activity with canoeists going round the lock <br />
[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2828435">2828435</a>]] so keeping out of the way was a necessity. The lock itself was like many others along the Kennet and any sign of the pillboxes which were there had long been removed [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2834714">2834714</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2834720">2834720</a>]].<br />
The next section was much like the last with people walking along the towpath and cyclists who were outriders for the canoeists giving them encouragement or just being there as back up. Cranwell swingbridge was next along where you crossed to the opposite bank which gave an opportunity to get some more photos of styles of people negotiating the bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2835031">2835031</a>]] . At time the river seemed to clear only to have more canoeists come along [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2836670">2836670</a>]] then finally a bridge comes into view <br />
[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2836733">2836733</a>]] with a lock beyond that [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2836740">2836740</a>]] the over to the right a pillbox [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2836737">2836737</a>]]. <br />
The day had been worth the walk. More photos of the canoeists running under the bridge after bypassing the lock [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2836930">2836930</a>]]. A short walk on past there proved devoid of pillboxes so I set off back only to spot there was the base of a Type 28A beside the lock [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2838249">2838249</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2837176">2837176</a>]] Some photos were taken and more of the pillbox the other side [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2838382">2838382</a>]] The road bridge over the railway proved devoid of benchmarks so after watching the canoeists who I had seen in the first place coming back I headed off back to the car [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2838191">2838191</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2838246">2838246</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2838247">2838247</a>]].<br />
On the way home I stopped off at Thatcham to bag the trig pillar and benchmark there [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2843719">2843719</a>]]<br />
then off towards Hermitage to find Pinewood Halt. I drove past the place remembering it for a future visit then stopping off at a bridge for another benchmark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2841966">2841966</a>]] and some photos of the rail cutting and bridge that took the Didcot to Newbury railway [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2840418">2840418</a>]]. That done it was off home to finish decorating the kitchen and to plan my next trek out.<br />
My Geo trip and route can be seen here. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=346" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=346">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>text/html2012-01-01T23:39:23+00:00Bill Nicholls51.538168197795 -1.1290847423176Three Bridges
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/87
You could probably call four bridges but one of them had been demolished. I had been meaning to get out and update my photos on the progress of the Spring farm bridge near Goring but due to other commitments I have not been out till today. Spring Farm Bridge was due to be demolished a year ago but due to time constraints it was put off and over Christmas demolished with along as I found out the one at Purley near Reading. This came as a shock because I thought the local residents had preservation order on it. I felt it was worth while going out to record the progress on these two plus one at Lower Basildon which I had noticed while going past on the train had been worked on. First up was Spring Farm which I was hoping had not had the sections put in, I was not disappointed. The bridge had been cleared of rubble and was awaiting the support plates to be fitted for the bridge sections, it looked strangely naked with no arches for trains to go under and no more would smoke billow from under them like in days past [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2749264">2749264</a>]]. From there it was onto Lower Basildon with a quick stop off at Cleeve to see what was there to Geograph in the future and a quick look round the bridge there to bag a Benchmark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2750732">2750732</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2750735">2750735</a>]]. Stopping off outside the entrance to the site at Lower Basildon showed the new bridge there[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2751771">2751771</a>]]. The old one had been removed and the new one looked to have been fitted higher that the old one [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2751779">2751779</a>]]. The bridge gives access to the farm and old church there but must have been too low for the new goods wagons which Network rail will use . Once I had finished it was off to Purley where I knew the sections were in place. This bridge must have had the preservation order over turned and it serviced Scrace's and Westbury Farm so had little traffic using it [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2753310">2753310</a>]]. It was also the smaller of the three bridges along that cutting [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2753339">2753339</a>]]. Only the barge bases remained and new bearing plates had been fitted along with the new bridge sections [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2753343">2753343</a>]]. A footbridge had been erected beside the old bridge for local people to use so made a good platform to get a few photo's from. I think this completes the work that has gone on along the section from Reading to Oxford. I have not documented all of them as I only found out about the removals after and the Reading Station development is a whole different ball game which I don't have time to do but would love to. The next thing to do will be to write an article on on the work which has been done in the last two years. I will update this blog with photo's in the next week but I felt I needed to get the year off to a good start blog wise. <a title="https://www.geograph.ie/blog/22" href="https://www.geograph.ie/blog/22">Link</a>text/html2012-01-19T08:24:58+00:00Bill Nicholls52.452534474073 -0.8168535913117Garmin Road test
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/90
First time out with my New Garmin Oregon 450 with UK Mapping, bit of a far cry from the old Etrex H I had been using I must admit. I had gone to Hackelton with my wife as she was on a dog training day so I took the opportunity to go out and road test my new toy. The start point was Hackleton Village Hall [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2765614">2765614</a>]] and my intention was to go to Piddington then work down to a disused railway follow it till the road and back to Hackleton via Horton which would take in four squares on the OS map. I had printed off a map of the local area and used this in conjunction with the GPS to compare with. First stop was St John's Church at Piddington [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2767251">2767251</a>]] for a few photos [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2769981">2769981</a>]] and a Benchmark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2770630">2770630</a>]]. From there it was off to find the railway that ran under a bridge nearby where I came across the second benchmark of the day [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2771260">2771260</a>]] The railway was a disused one and the bridge was in good condition considering it was just a track running over it though some of the brickwork was dislodged [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2772123">2772123</a>]]. More photos of the bridge and old trackbed then it was off along the footpath going alongside it to the next bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2772131">2772131</a>]]. While walking here and looking at the area I spotted a fox running across the field about 100 meters away, he stopped looked back then turned and spotted me, stared then thinking I posed no threat trotted off [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2776410">2776410</a>]]. Pity I did not have the camera ready but I felt to move would have frightened him off. Back on the way along the path and in the hedge I notice brickwork laying around further investigation shows there is an old platform still there [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2776839">2776839</a>]], the brickwork was from a destroyed building. After a detour round the outside of a small holding it was back on the road and a look at the bridge nearby the crossed the old railway. A third benchmark was my reward [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2778086">2778086</a>]] and under the bridge I find it had been strengthened to take the heavy traffic that now runs over it [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2778613">2778613</a>]].<br />
On to Horton where along the way I pick up a fourth Benchmark on a bridge crossing a river? <br />
[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2779245">2779245</a>]]. Walking on it's a look round the church there and out the back entrance past a converted country house. It was not until I came out the other end of the estate I realised it was a private road I had walked up, no wonder the people I met walking to the house looked at my camera even though they did smile and pass the time of day. For once I refrained from taking any photos round a place. By now I was getting hungry so I headed back to Hackleton Village hall to meet up with my wife for a bite of lunch after getting some photos of the chapel nearby [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2783834">2783834</a>]]. I saved the route then went off on another jaunt first towards the school [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2784009">2784009</a>]] and war memorial [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2784030">2784030</a>]] near Piddington lane the double backing and off to find a trig pillar. On the way I passed a second abandoned railway only this time the bridge over the road had been demolished [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2785351">2785351</a>]] so any benchmark was gone though there was some rubble left behind [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2785504">2785504</a>]] and something else unmentionable somebody had left. Onwards to by final destination only to be thwarted as I could not see it and miss read the map, I eventually found the trig pillar but it was in a hedge which bordered a paddock [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2785524">2785524</a>]], I felt I'd had enough so headed back to meet up with my wife and go home but I did get a bonus, I found an upside down benchmark on a farm building the first I have come across [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2785528">2785528</a>]]. After this I realised the batteries were running down (they were alkaline) so I switched off.<br />
I found the navigation through the touch screen quite easy though a hand book or CD version to read through might have been helpful. It kept track of where I was going well though you do need to zoom in on the map to follow. I had printed off a map from my Anquet set so used that whilst checking with the GPS for position. There is a lot to learn with it but I found the navigation through the screens easy enough. My one mishap was not clearing the route before starting off as it had logged my position at home a problem I had with the Etrex. Battery life can also pose a problem, I had a brand new set of Duracells in mine and they only lasted around 6 hours before the low warning came on mind you I had left the screen on all morning and only switched on the save energy at lunchtime. I do have some rechargeable NIMH ones to try yet just have to find them in the turmoil of our house but then they are cheap enough to by another set. Is it worth paying out the money? Well I bought mine from Go Outdoors, the original price was £399 and I found the unit for £384 online at another store so I went along with the page and not only did they honour this they knocked of another 10% bringing it down to £342 which made it more palatable. It is probably an expensive toy especially as I tend to used it as a datalogger but it does show you position on the map so if used in conjunction with the OS map you should have no reason to get lost. A cheaper alternative is is just buy without the GB Mapping and use the Basic map it comes with or there is the new Etrex series with 3 types available two of which take OS mapping so if Garmin read this I'm willing to try one for you. The record of my Geo-trip is now available in the link. <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=332" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=332">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
Now for the next trip.<br />
text/html2012-08-15T16:29:50+00:00Bill Nicholls51.684812836529 -1.675941899779Last part of the Red Line
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/151
After a failed attempt the previous week due to a flat battery on my camera I set out for Buscot again only this time with a full battery and a back up camera checked before the journey. I was impressed by the village the previous week so took a few photos before setting off on my trek [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3053209">3053209</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3053340">3053340</a>]]. It was then off towards the lock for some photos of the weir pool [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3053580">3053580</a>]] before heading off to the Church of St John’s which was along a rather overgrown footpath [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3054803">3054803</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3060617">3060617</a>]]. I had hoped there would be a pillbox nearby as shown on my map but it was not to be. Still I was pleased to find a benchmark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3060721">3060721</a>]] and the Church open so went inside for a few photos. One thing I noticed straight away was a Stained glass window [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3055020">3055020</a>]] I has seen in another church only slightly different colours. The Buscot one was to celebrate the victory in the first war (there are no winners only losers) where as the other I’d seen was a memorial to the loss of a parish [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3060808">3060808</a>]]. After taking my pictures in the church and churchyard it was off back to the river though I stopped off on the way back having noticed something on the other side of the stream in the Thames Water grounds, the unmistakeable shape of a pillbox, I’d found the one I was looking for [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3060840">3060840</a>]]. <br />
On getting back to the lock [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3062073">3062073</a>]] I found the Thames Water Plant was for sale and planning had been submitted so as luck had it I spotted the lock keeper talking with a person who it turned out was the new owner, the place was to become a boat yard and he was happy for me to come back and view the pillbox at a later date. I just need to email him nearer the time when the weeds have died down. I stopped and watched a boat come into the lock and the person steering it making a pig’s ear of the attempt and wondered if they just had the boat on hire. I left them and went on my way.<br />
From the lock it was off downstream to the first pillbox which looked in good condition [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3063485">3063485</a>]]. I had noticed a person coming out of the place so at first feared the worse turned out they were looking at it like me. The Pillbox had a number [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3063490">3063490</a>]] which is rare they tend to be gone most of the time. From here it was off along the path to the next which soon turned up just back from the river [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3064901">3064901</a>]]. Again another number was to be found, though there was some erosion on the roof line. Once done it was time to double back along a shorter route cutting out the bends [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3064842">3064842</a>]]. Some more photos were taken at the lock of the boats and a few more of the Thames water plant [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3071493">3071493</a>]] over the river and along the bank one of the many bends in that area [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3072518">3072518</a>]]. Finally the pillbox I’d been looking for at Buscot which is quite well documented as it is full of holes [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3072522">3072522</a>]]. My personal view is that it was used to test out munitions prior to D Day as the holes seem to enlarge on the inside as if they had exploded on the way in [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3072756">3072756</a>]]. The inside was full of rubble. Once I had finished there I went back to the car to drive round to St John's Bridge [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3073739">3073739</a>]] near Lechlade where, after finding another two benchmarks [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3073714">3073714</a>]], some photos of the lock and Old Father Thames [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3074045">3074045</a>]] it was off along the bank to take in the last pillbox [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3074095">3074095</a>]]. This I could see was going to lose its corner from erosion in the near future but as it was on the opposite side of the river I would be returning in a few months to check it out again. <br />
It was time to go home but on the way I stopped off at Eaton Hasting to get some photos of the war memorial [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3075113">3075113</a>]] and the church [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3077140">3077140</a>]] plus another benchmark[[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3077158">3077158</a>]]. I had one more place to visit and that was my favourite pillbox at the Rose revived but time was running out so I postponed it for a later day only to find out late in the week it had finally slipped in the river [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3079385">3079385</a>]]. A good day, in which the photos I took brought my tally to over 20,000 on Geograph. Now where to go next?<br />
My Geotrip can be seen here <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=402" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=402">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>text/html2012-07-22T20:33:36+00:00Bill Nicholls51.395022384062 -1.2324192512813A search along the Kennet
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/144
It was a weekend I had the chance to go and find some more pillboxes. The plan was to go to the Kennet and find the ones between Colthrop and Newbury then the next day go to Buscot and finish my Thames trek. Things as usual did not go to plan.<br />
On Saturday I drove to Midgham lock and walked along the towpath to Colthrop passing some gravel workings [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3042162">3042162</a>]] before finally getting to the pillbox I was after [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3043408">3043408</a>]]. I’d seen photos before so knew what to expect. I then noticed a large hopper [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3043410">3043410</a>]] like thing in the distance so went to see if a better view could be got, that never materialized but I did notice a hole in the fence so went for a look then spent around half an hour wandering round what might have been part of the old paper mill. I have declined to post the photos as I really don’t want to have someone emailing the site complaining but you can read it in my Blog. <br />
Back to the car and off to Midgham church [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3044618">3044618</a>]] which was quite a nice one even if it was plainly Victorian. I did take notice of a stained glass window [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3045877">3045877</a>]] which will feature again in another blog but at the time I did not know this. From Midgham it was down to Thatcham and Monkey Marsh lock [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3050556">3050556</a>]] where a pillbox awaited along buy the lock [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3050663">3050663</a>]]and as it turned out, what looks like a base of another but the icing on the cake was finding a gun pit [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3050844">3050844</a>]] everyone else seems to have missed; admittedly is was well overgrown and filled it but is still there.<br />
Last trip was to the Nature reserve [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3050854">3050854</a>]] where another three were shown but sadly I only found one but when I got home I located the other two so a return is on the cards. Sunday was a visit to Buscot on the Thames to finish off my Thames pillbox search but on arrival I found my camera had lost it charge and the battery was flat. I was gutted to say the least and having forgotten my back up compact I only had my camera phone and sorry I could not stoop that low even though the picture quality is very good. Time to go home. <br />
I did get back on the following Sunday the 22nd and finished my Thames pillbox hunt but that is another Blog.<br />
text/html2012-04-27T19:39:18+00:00Bill Nicholls51.404546236699 -1.3185182550835Another bit of the Jigsaw
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/120
Sunday the 22nd saw me go back to Newbury to find the final bit of the jigsaw that is the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton railway. My wife came along with our young dog to give him some time out to get used to a different place and water. <br />
We parked at Newbury Parkway shopping centre which gave me a chance to update some photos of the new John Lewis store [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2917351">2917351</a>]] before setting off along the Kennet [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2918526">2918526</a>]]. As I had not been along this section it was all new to me and seeing all the narrowboats moored up was impressive [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2918561">2918561</a>]]. I seemed to be taking photos of everything I noticed [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2918659">2918659</a>]]. What got me most was the number of marinas we seemed to pass including a dry dock. It was not long before I found what I had come to see. Not far from one of the footbridges I noticed a retaining wall which was part of the river bank [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2920781">2920781</a>]] then looking to the left I noticed a fence end made from old rail line [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2920793">2920793</a>]] and a little further along a second one. This would have marked the embankment boundary. Long back towards the A4 the area was very over grown with a pond. Seems to me Newbury could not wait to be rid of the rail embankment or traces that the railway came through this area. On the far side there was nothing to say there had been railway at all just buildings. [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2920798">2920798</a>]]<br />
We concluded out walk by going to the next lock where I got a few more photos [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2924621">2924621</a>]][[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2925790">2925790</a>]], it was then back along the towpath to Parkway [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2927085">2927085</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2927253">2927253</a>]]. On the way back we stopped to watch some canoeists practising in a weir we had passed [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2927256">2927256</a>]]. They had a tutor who told them where to aim [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2927259">2927259</a>]]. One guy was picked out to try but seemed very reluctant to have a go looking rather apprehensive. Eventually he plucked up the courage to try only to fall back and try again. This time he got in the stream for a few seconds before going backwards and turning over. The guy tried to right himself unsuccessfully a few times but eventually righted. I was appalled as the nearest canoeist did not help and the instructor should have been more active, if it had been me I'd have jumped in to help [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2928265">2928265</a>]]. We walked off disgusted by what we had seen. After getting back to Parkway and a coffee I managed a few more photos before going home [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2928276">2928276</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2928272">2928272</a>]]. My article can now be concluded though no doubt I will need to update it, though not before I have given a talk about it at work, I opened my big mouth and was asked to give a lunchtime lecture on the subject after I showed them what I had been doing.<br />
text/html2012-05-22T16:25:07+00:00Bill Nicholls51.460205373247 -0.52600812678112Looking for the Gunpowder mills
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/130
Saturday 12th May was another of those days my wife went off to a dog fun day. I came along to keep her company as it was somewhere different. I had checked out the map of the area and it looked quite fruitful in the number of pillboxes there could be. So after getting to our destination of Chilworth I thought it was time for a walk round on my own, while my wife and dog enjoyed their day. First problem I encountered was I had left my map behind, had the GPS but no map of the places I wanted to get to. I seemed to remember the pillboxes lined the river but with no map of the positions I was left with walking round the village not even turning on the GPS (big mistake).<br />
Heading off through Chilworth which did not seem to have much to offer to start with [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2950402">2950402</a>]], the Church was a recent one (Victorian) [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2950405">2950405</a>]] and the Village hall looked like it used to be an old tin chapel [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2950418">2950418</a>]] as it was made from corrugated iron (unusual nowadays) then there was the railway crossing [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2951506">2951506</a>]]. I had not realised there was a station or I would have headed there, instead I went down a lane called Old Manor Gardens [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2951534">2951534</a>]] which turned out to be very rough even though I was on foot. I reached some cottages at the end and noticed the name, Magazine Cottages. Either someone had a sense of humour or they had history. Turned out to be the latter as after asking a resident why he told me they were old tithe cottages from the gunpowder mills and after asking where they were I was told how to get there. I decided to carry on the way I was going [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2951542">2951542</a>]] and make my way to the gunpowder mills. It was quite scenic as I passed a small river and a white cottage of the chocolate box variety in a field [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2953680">2953680</a>]] then, after going past some houses I came out on Halfpenny Lane in front of the entrance to the gunpowder mills [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2954006">2954006</a>]]. A few quick photos of Halfpenny Lane [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2955407">2955407</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2955603">2955603</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2955606">2955606</a>]] and it was off through the mills [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2955626">2955626</a>]]. They dated back to 1670 and stopped production in 1920. <br />
All along the path you came across old sluices where water still ran out of the old brick channels [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2957279">2957279</a>]] through what was left of a mill. Millstones stood around or were left lying where they fell last [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2957286">2957286</a>]]. The trees and undergrowth were being cut back after years of neglect to reveal old water courses and the footings of buildings [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2957290">2957290</a>]]. A water course like a small canal fed much of this and you came across an old tramway and swing bridge proving small barges were sent along the water course. [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2959444">2959444</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2960133">2960133</a>]]<br />
Walking on further into the place you soon come across the large mill buildings still standing and looking grim [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2960369">2960369</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2960486">2960486</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2960489">2960489</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2960494">2960494</a>]].<br />
A little further is another building and then you come to a gate leading out to a track. This is where I found my only WW2 remains of the day, a road block and the first of its type I had come across where steel rails were inserted. Its counterpart on the other side seemed to have been demolished as a pile of concrete was all that remained [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2967906">2967906</a>]]. <br />
It was time to return so it was a pleasant walk back through the woods [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2968311">2968311</a>]] before getting to the road again though one more stop off was required to get some photos of a second church before meeting up with my wife.<br />
No geotrip this time more is the pity it will teach me to turn on the GPS in future no matter how short or uninteresting the walk could be.<br />
text/html2012-06-13T17:22:24+00:00Bill Nicholls54.790142850714 -4.3733029465499A weekend in Garlieston
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/135
I would not say my wife and I were keen caravanners even though we have owned them for many years. Up to now we kept it on a seasonal pitch at Fforest Fields in Wales but last year due to having some work done on our place we decided to let the pitch go (the need for some where to stay came first). A new two birth caravan gave us a bit more flexibility in that it was a easier to tow and made my wife a bit more adventurous. Glastonbury was the start (at least to try the van out) so next it was decided to visit Scotland, only just across the border and after a late start, two stop-offs and 8 hours later we arrived at the Camping and Caravan site in Garlieston, which was small compared to its rival across the stream.<br />
One thing it had was an old building which turned out to be an old saw mill operated by the stream beside it though sadly not now in use so the wheel was broken in the wheel pit [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2980562">2980562</a>]]. I started to explore round the place next day heading down to the harbour then along the front. The pier was out of bounds due to the harbour wall being reconstructed [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2973664">2973664</a>]]. Most of the harbour was also being redeveloped [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2973660">2973660</a>]] with housing and one old building had been refurbished [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2971715">2971715</a>]] with another in the wings waiting [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2973712">2973712</a>]], there were also a couple of footings that were up to damp course waiting for work to carry on. Going round to the Village Hall I discovered there was some wartime history connected with the village as the bay was used to develop the mulberry harbour system used during the D day landings [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2980544">2980544</a>]].<br />
Further along the village past the War Memorial [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2971423">2971423</a>]] you find Mill road where there used to be a corn mill and a water wheel still in place [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2977586">2977586</a>]] from here you can walk on round the bay where you can have some fine views of the village though the one thing that spoils it is the Caravan Club site which is on the site of an old Mill [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2980409">2980409</a>]]. Quite why they have to spoil villages with caravan sites on the coast I cannot say but you can see many with static home blotting the landscape along the coast. <br />
One thing was evident about the village it only had two shops and both of them were more like convenience stores but one was a post office. The place did not even have a fish and chip shop but it did have a pub [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2970057">2970057</a>]]. Down on the harbour work was going on due to the wall getting in a bad state so no visiting the pier was going to happen though we did take a coastal walk towards the next bay then nearly getting chased by the local cows on the way back.<br />
Sunday it was a trip to Wigtown and for some shopping though on this occasion I took no photos as I did not want to leave my wife and dogs in a hot car but on the way out we spotted a recycled greenhouse beside the school [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2971543">2971543</a>]] so a quick few photos were the order of the day and in the evening a walk round Garlieston bay getting some photos towards the harbour. [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2980411">2980411</a>]]<br />
Monday it was off to Newton Stewart to find a bakery and some scotch pies. The town, like many others in the area, was a good opportunity for a geographing but again I dipped out because of the heat we also dipped out on the Bran Scones as they had run out. All that way to go home with none but we did get a couple of warm scotch pies, sadly no haggis or black pudding though. We stopped off at Kilsture forest [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2981683">2981683</a>]] for a walk which was not a good idea as the puppy brought home some friends in the form of deer ticks, we found three of the blighters when we got back to the caravan. After lunch I set out looking for the old railway that ran to the harbour stopping off at the crossing cottage and lucky the wifey let me take some photos of the bridge supports still in the burn [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2983079">2983079</a>]]. From there it was along the road to Sorbie church [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2984572">2984572</a>]] which I found odd as it was nearer Garlieston not only that, no graves round the place. Made me wonder where they buried people who died but at least I found a flush bracket [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2984568">2984568</a>]], I did try to find the nearby ROC post but it seems the farmer sorted that out back in the 1950s.<br />
On the corner of the road where you go along to the church the railway passed on its way to Garlieston and the field nearby bore witness to this with a clear bump heading off to join the main line [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2983207">2983207</a>]]. The original bridge which took the railway had the deck removed leaving only the sides supporting the embankment [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2988376">2988376</a>]]. The Station nearby was still there though now converted to a private residence [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2988387">2988387</a>]]. I did manage to find a benchmark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2987817">2987817</a>]] on the old bridge before heading along the field to get some of the bridge over Kilfillan Burn [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2989042">2989042</a>]] but climbing an embankment full of brambles in shorts is not a good idea. Once I had my photos I decided to go back but decided to have a quick look on Kilfillan bridge for a benchmark [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2990726">2990726</a>]] which I found, that gave me encouragement to find one on the bridge by crossing cottage near Garlieston. That was it, I followed the road through the housing estate back to the caravan picking up a couple of ice creams on the way for my wife and myself. Not a bad weekend one which opened my eyes a bit more to history though when we got back home we found more hitchhikers on the puppy, three more of the dam ticks tried to make a home in the south but not for long.<br />
Geotrip of the railway walk <span class="nowrap"><a title="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=382" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/misc/geotrip_show.php?osos&trip=382">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="http://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span><br />
text/html2012-07-10T13:20:22+00:00Bill Nicholls51.520293464604 -1.143838563297Much ado about nothing
https://www.geograph.org.uk/blog/140
Well that is about what I have been up to in the last month since my trip to Garlieston. Commitments at home decorating have taken up my time so that only short trips out is what I managed. <br />
June started off well with the extended bank holiday weekend and I thought a good chance to get some photos of a crane [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2993073">2993073</a>]] that appeared at work to lift some new coolers over the building [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2993169">2993169</a>]], unfortunately due to a technical error the lift was cancelled and now probably put off till the next bank holiday where I should be able to get some more photos. On the Monday Cholsey had its Diamond Jubilee celebrations and I managed to get some photos round there in the evening of the bands playing and the crowds enjoying themselves (including my son) [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3003704">3003704</a>]] [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3003714">3003714</a>]].<br />
A chance reading on the Reading Forum lead me to a forgotten graveyard in Reading which held 11 war graves [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3009704">3009704</a>]] and on the way home I managed to update the bridges I had been covering on the railway [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3012864">3012864</a>]]. Then it was more photos round Cholsey for the Parish Council's new website [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3019635">3019635</a>]]. The month ended with an early (for me) morning up on Streatley Hill to get some panoramic shots which though I was pleased with them I may well go and head back and get some more [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3020925">3020925</a>]]. <br />
During the month I was contacted by a James Whitaker who asked if I had come across what looked like a memorial, after some tracking down I finally found it downstream from where he thought it was. What’s more it was not quite a memorial more a folly and written on it was an account of the person who lived there’s younger days at university only in Latin. The book he wrote has just been published on Kindle and is called “Tails of three men in a boat” and the cover photo is one of mine which is of Jerome K Jerome’s headstone that I sent to him [[<a href="https://www.geograph.ie/photo/1604687">1604687</a>]].<br />
July seems to have got off to a good start with getting photos of local villages and churches. I will just have to hope the rest of the month works out as well.<br />