Humidity, "Signs of an encroaching Autumn." Surprises by the canal.

Water, what is it that makes it so magical, so calming and so soothing? For they are all questions that have a mere hypothesis as an answer, or as answers, but either way I just knew that I wanted to be by the water. The heatwave might have gone but now the humidity has arrived, although for how long it will remain in place for, that is another question. But wanting to escape the humidity I thought that “being by the water might just be the best option.” And with that I had arrived at Shipley Lock, a lock that straddles the Erewash Canal, to the left of me the canal was meandering in the direction of Langley Mill, where under the bridge it actually becomes The Cromford Canal, a canal of history but one that has been forgotten - although plans do exist to make this historic canal “navigable” again; yet it is a question of when that will happen; mixed in with the question of funding for good measure. Yet to the right of me a view of the canal meandering towards Winston, the local wind-turbine and further on in this direction the Erewash Canal eventually meanders gently down locks and again past forgotten pieces of history to meet the River Trent at the aptly named “Trent Lock.” Looking to my right the bridge over the canal, and it was this that I crossed, but then the next question was simply,

“Which way to walk, if I walk in the direction of Langley Mill Basin, what magic will I find and subsequently if I walk along the canal towards Winston in the direction of the final destination of the canal, due south, for what magic will I find as well?”

A tough decision for a split second lay ahead, but in the end I had opted to turn left and walk in a more northerly direction along the Erewash Canal towards Langley Mill, I started off along the canal towpath, the humidity slightly building and a grey overcast sky ahead of me and some five minutes later I had to stop, ahead of me lay a mystical looking pathway surrounded by all shades of greenery that was surrounding the towpath framing it in a strange way, one that had questions, no answers as to who had walked along the path, I paused for a brief moment and here is the result.

Shaded in Green.

Passing through the shades of green - the undergrowth eventually gave way, ahead of me the skies grey and the humidity still with me, for I was expecting a cooler experience, what with being by the water and yet that did not look as if it would happen any time soon. Either way though I continued along the towpath, the canal to the left of me and yet in the distance I could see something different, under the grey skies a colour palette and one that spoke “Autumn is on the way” a sentiment that felt true, yes the heatwave has accelerated the leaves changing colour - but I for one could see some Autumnal colour ahead of me, a sure sign that nature will be bidding farewell to us before it enters a deep sleep yet again in the wheel of existence that we all experience. The colours though looked like a painting, the dull grey skies brightened up just ever so slightly by a change of colour; with the orange, red and yellow tones just beginning to show themselves, revealed and reflected into the canal.

Encroaching Autumn.

By now the towpath had changed again, along with the canal, sweeping bends in the canal and on the opposite side of the canal in the fields, a white horse drinking the water, one could say in this instance I wanted to experiment, I did and these were the results.

What can be found here?

Horse Reflections.

Abstract of the White Horse.

I then continued walking, yet after a short couple of minutes ahead of me was “Shipley Lock.” Another lock on the Erewash Canal, that over the years has changed; the bridge over the lock leading to the other side of the canal, and it is at this point that the towpath switches sides, yet in my mind were memories of walks through the adjacent fields towards the River Erewash, now of course that has changed and access rights have changed slightly as well, meaning that fields once used for exploration are now used for grazing and pasture land. But despite that I challenged myself to find a somewhat interesting composition of Eastwood Lock, a Lock on the canal that I always struggle to find a composition despite looking so photogenic, needless to say that I was pleased with the result of what I had taken.

Eastwood Lock Framed.

Then I continued to walk, heading over the bridge and onto the opposite side of the canal, continuing to walk ahead with the canal now on the right of me, and past the Lock, I looked back for a brief moment, at another change, that change of course was another one in which you could just see the first autumnal changes beginning to take place and a curve in the canal.

Changes of a meandering Canal.

“Changes, Changes are Everywhere.” For that was the first thought in my mind, and the opposite side of the canal had brought change with it, I continued to walk ahead, still heading in the direction of Langley Mill - and the canal also rapidly changing, the plant life changing and the landscape also changing as I walked along. After a little while I had reached another bridge, one that is photogenic and one that you could easily “record via photographs throughout the seasons” only this bridge carries the rather unknown road that is named “Tinsley Road.” Yet somehow this bridge also can tell stories of things and people that have passed over it, looking at the views along the canal. I paused for a moment and captured its ethereal looking scenes of calm and mystery.

A Bridge of Time.

Then I continued along the towpath, underneath the bridge until I had gained a short distance, then I looked back at where I had walked, the bridge this time still looking calming, soothing and ethereal with shades of green which soon will look awash with autumnal colours, like something that perhaps Turner would paint if he was still alive.

Like "Turner Would Paint - (Landscape).

Like "Turner" Would Paint - (Portrait).

By now even more changes had occurred, things seemed that more rustic, dramatic even and dreamlike, a Moorhen amongst the reeds to the right hand side of me, framed by green caught my eye.

Moorhen Reflections.

Eventually I had arrived at a point of the towpath in which the canal and the towpath decided to change yet again into a living art gallery, one of life underwater that remains rather hidden, and one of wildlife but sculpture, on the other side of the canal, in the water a mass of something that looked almost alien, spooky and odd - but was it alien, spooky and odd? Or was that the mind telling me that. What it was in reality was the roots of a tree that had grown into the canal that had formed a living sculpture, and I decided at this point that “Abstract” would be the best way to describe this as.

Abstract Rooted - Black and White.

Abstract Rooted - Colour.

Colour or Black and White? Personally I like both the colour and both the black and white, but leave a comment and tell me what you think looks better. Walking along, the humidity was still with me, but a creeping sign of an encroaching autumn lay ahead of me; and a magical glow of transitioning leaves could also be seen, reflecting into the water that was so calm and still.

First beginnings of Autumn.

Still life by the canal.

I continued to walk, but then something on the opposite side of the canal stood out to me, at first I thought it was just the way the tree looked, but it was not, instead as I got closer and closer - it eventually got a lot clearer as to what it was, perched in a tree was a bird, not a small bird but one that looked slightly prehistoric, plucked out of Jurassic Park; it was so still, at height looking down on the people who had walked by and perhaps not noticed, but what was it?

“Ahead of me in a tree was something, as I got closer I could see that it was a Heron, perched in a tree as still as day, as still as the night, this majestic bird waiting patiently for its next move, for what will that be? A fish for its tea?”

Yes I had only seen a Heron perched in a tree, something that I had never seen before, yet it was at the end of July, when someone in Buxton had said to me “There is a Heron in a tree, within the park.” Now here I was observing a Heron in a tree; was this a sign or not a sign? Either way it did feel slightly spooky that a month later I would also witness a majestic bird casually looking down on the canal from high up in a tree. Yet why do Herons stand in trees? Well that is because they build nests in trees.

Heron Tree.

Unexpected.

After capturing the photos of the Heron - I reviewed the images that I had taken and reached the conclusion that this magnificent and majestic bird looked like a Judge, waiting in a courtroom. Yet I could not believe what I had seen, and the majestic bird had posed for me. Now with an element of surprise I continued to walk, the canal swooping as it meandered towards Langley Mill, but then after walking through the woodland overhang of the canal, another photographic scene was in sight. The bridge that carries Anchor Road, ahead of me and this scene that lay ahead of me just spoke so many words about why people are drawn to the canal and it’s elusive and evocative charm that it provides, ones of calm, serenity and peace, for here things were silent, yet changing slowly.

Waterside Charms.

Serendipity by the Water.

I walked onto the bridge, and the beauty of the canal is what I could see, again a different angle had provided me with another raw element of beauty and calm, another canal boat berthed at the side of the canal, and the greenery and shades of the trees providing a backdrop as the canal nears its end point at Langley Mill, just a short distance away. I then turned back around and looked back at where I had walked, a willow drooping towards the water and the reflections of stillness, for this is what a walk on the canal is about.

Shades of Green and Blue.

Drooping towards Water.

Walking over the bridge I was now on Anchor Road, and that was for a brief few moments, before I turned right, the canal was now nowhere to be seen and a pathway lay ahead, usually what can be seen during the warmer months are an abundance of Sunflowers that grow in an area of land just off the pathway that remains something of a wildlife haven, just a few remained now, but I continued to walk, until The Erewash Canal came back into view, again I was looking for an interesting and unusual composition to capture and then before long I found the perfect view, again slightly abstract but with a delightful frame, reflections and growth.

Water Framed.

After that, the winding pathway lay ahead of me, looking like it had been plucked from a fantasy or Sci-Fi novel, and this was the next scene, just perfectly framed, with the glorious twisting and turning of the pathway ahead of me.

Walking through a Fantasy - (Portrait).

Walking through a Fantasy - (Landscape).

Losing sight of the Erewash Canal, to the left of me was the rustic, overgrown Nottingham Canal, a canal that ran parallel to the Erewash Canal, and one with a different history, now you would be lucky to even get a SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) along this stretch of canal, yet despite it being overgrown and rustic; this canal is home to wildlife, further down the canal near to the Bennerley Viaduct it is used for fishing, plus even there it is home to Wildlife, yet it remains much more silent, again full of charm and discoveries to be made as you follow its course towards Nottingham. Eventually though I got to a section of this hidden and rustic overgrown canal with a small avenue of trees, the pathway leading the way and with that shades of orange on the floor, leaves that have fallen due to a lack of water throughout the summer, also signalling that maybe we are in for an early Autumn this year.

Walking towards Autumn - (Portrait).

Walking towards Autumn - (Landscape).

Which way is it now? Did I continue to walk along the towpath until I reached Newmanly’s Road, or do I cut down through the field and re-join the Erewash Canal? Eventually I decided that re-joining the Erewash Canal seemed like a good decision, and it was. By now the grey skies had broken and the humidity had slightly dropped, instead it seemed a whole lot fresher, again still calm but the light worked its magic, and ahead of me MFN, a former pub now turned into a quirky music venue, owned by the former drummer of Showaddywaddy, one could say the scene of the countryside here and the building might be like “marmite” but somehow the light was working wonders and the canal was with the reflections of MFN, of course the trees ahead still green - but for how long?

Music and Water - (Portrait).

Music and Water - (Landscape).

Eventually I had arrived back at the location that I had started the walk from, and I thought to myself, “If I had walked in the opposite direction I would not have seen the heron, perhaps even I would not have seen the signs of an encroaching Autumn.” Yet because I had walked along the canal in the direction of Langley Mill, I saw a Heron, in a rather unusual location, and I saw the signs of an encroaching autumn, something that is magical and something that will remain with me for a long time, for the last thing on my mind was the Humidity at this moment, instead my mind was more focused on the surprises that you can find by the canal, and I for one had found surprises and signs of an ever changing canal, one that tells stories, one that changes and one that offers sanctuary and peace for those who use it for pleasure, to live on and for the wildlife that also call it home as well - and that is the best feeling, the one of escapism by the water.   

Finding magic by the water. A walk along in the shade with a Reservoir for company.

2022 has been something of a “strange year” in one way it has been a year of contrasts and in the next way it has been a year of changes, changes in the climate and with that the summer has been questionable to say the least - with temperatures in some parts of the country reaching a barmy 40 degrees! I mean when we think of 40 degree heat it tends to be associated with places like The Middle East, Asia, America and of course Australasia; thinking that the UK would see 40 degrees many years ago was unthinkable - now of course though it is sadly reality and whilst the 40 degree heat was around during July, after then the heatwave sort of went away, instead a much more breathable heat stepped into its place and remained - warm but just where was 40 degrees? That of course was nothing more than a distant memory; but perhaps even a glimpse into the future. Of course though July progressed and we said goodbye to it, August turned up at the doorstep and with that a gradual change came yet again, with weather models showing,

“Yet another heatwave is on the way, instead of 40 degrees it will be above 30 degrees and unfortunately for many rather uncomfortable with the added bonus of tropical nights, when the night time temperature remains above the 20 degree mark.”

Of course though 30 degrees is more comfortable than 40 degrees, well yes it is to some degree, but slowly we said goodbye to the breathable temperatures of the mid 20s, and the heatwave came back again, uncomfortable to go out in the day - but what about evening? Dusk time just on the cusp of the sun going down, would that be a good time to go out? Perhaps it would be a good time to go out, I mean people in other countries where they are acclimatized to the heat tend to go out later when the temperature has dropped and using that synopsis I had decided where I wanted to go. “Somewhere with shade” of course is what sprung into my mind and somewhere that I could enjoy the last of the heat without it being too hot. Of course this particular August evening the heat from the day had dropped slightly, instead of 30+ degrees it was a barmy and rather cool 29.5 degrees, a refreshing change in some way yet something of sanctimonious torture in another way. Either way though I knew in the back of my mind that 29.5 degrees here in the UK during the evening is not exactly what you would expect or even call comfortable. But by now I had arrived at Moorgreen Reservoir, a glorious hidden Reservoir located amongst the rolling hills of DH Lawrence Country in Nottinghamshire, and a Reservoir that of course has links to the many novels that DH Lawrence published - yet this stretch of water is not owned by Severn Trent, instead it is owned by The Canal and River Trust; that aside though I have been visiting this stretch of water since I was young, but of course due to Covid the chance to explore it again when we were told “to stay at home and only travel locally” was something that plunged me back into exploring this silent yet beautiful stretch of water and the pathway that runs by the side of it, of course with the added benefit of the shade.

The pathway by the side of the Reservoir though is shaded and to some extent the stretch of woodland here paves the way for Moorgreen Woods, a magical area of woodland that flows towards Felly, and one where pathways can lead you on magical encounters of wildlife that exists in the woodland - not to mention the artwork that the trees and the landscape provide as they co-exist together in perfect harmony. But here I was at the start of the pathway, to the right of me the former lodge house, and to the left of me a dreamy scene overlooking the reservoir with a magical light - dreamlike almost and as I looked across the water a strange peace enveloped me.

Summer dreaming by The Reservoir.

Dreamlike with the greens and the cool of the water in the distance; for was I encountering the first piece of magic that I would encounter? Quite possibly, but for now the track in front of me was leading the way, I continued to walk on, but then ahead of me I could notice the track providing a leading line towards what appeared to be something slightly autumnal, I stopped and paused and took the following photo.

Walking towards Autumn.

“Autumn in the leaves, for this is August.” is what was in my mind at this stage, and lately though I have noticed something of an early Autumn, but is it really Autumn? No it is not, instead it is the effects of a heatwave; thus meaning that a lack of water within the earth has meant that the leaves are not hydrated, lack of hydration and that is the reason as to why in August things have been looking rather “Autumnal” to say the least. But then something to my right caught my eye; and this was shortly after I had noticed the autumnal looking scene that had been in front of me - this time a tree that looked as if it had been plucked straight from October and had travelled back in time.

Autumn Arrival in August.

October tree in August.

The autumnal looking tree was now behind me, the sun to the left of me had now started to glow orange and was seeping through the trees creating something magical, but ahead of me I could see the twists and turns of the track that I was on.

Moorgreen Twists and Turns.

Before long I had reached a point where the track splits, to the left was a pathway and ahead of me the track that I had been walking along continued to private land, the only option now was to turn left, and it was here that things would begin to change even more. Looking ahead of me I noticed a scene like something from Lord of The Rings, perhaps now I was walking along a pathway to middle earth? But no; this footpath that I was on more than likely would be the same one that DH Lawrence would have also walked along; the shades of green now looking vivid, the light obstructed by the trees.

A path to Middle Earth.

Walking along the footpath I noticed that around me I was surrounded by the most magical and magnificent artwork, all affected by the light, by the shade and it was more like being surrounded by sculpture; it really was sculpture but living sculpture and I knew I had to take some photographs of this living art gallery, a natural living art gallery that is something truly unique.

A Living Sculpture.

Mushroom Tree.

Statue in the light.

A sense of magic, on the one hand a living art gallery I was amongst with living sculpture, to the left of me the sunlight doing it’s magical thing and then all of a sudden I had to pause - if only to document something that next year, next august possibly will never occur again, for this was the end result.

Split second Orange of the Tree.

By now it was time to turn around and retrace my steps, I had not made it to the old sight of Felly Mill, but back along the magical pathway I had to walk back on, this time noticing some more interesting and curious things, artwork on the way and again a sense of something ethereal was in the mind, curious shapes and shades now lay ahead of me and on the right hand side of me towards Moorgreen Reservoir, the light had changed, from orange to something that a watercolour artist would paint, or a landscape artist would sketch, a pastel tone had developed and gone was the orange in the sky, I knew that ahead of me something magical would be waiting for me, but ahead of me the mysterious green pathway.

Woodland Harmony.

Heatwave Shade.

Along the alien path.

Into the distance.

Portal to Autumn.

After a short while I had made it back to the track that I had originally walked along, now I was heading back in the direction of where I had started the walk, before long I got to a section of the track that I had walked on, but now to my left, something that I had missed out on, behind the small but perfectly formed purple flowers - majestic pine trees stood, but the purple flower really did stand out to me.

Purple beauty perfection.

Purple, for that was the colour of the skies and I had literally taken a photo of something purple - a “sign of things to come?” Perhaps that was what the purple flower had told me and before long I was at the end of the track that I had set off from. But then I knew that I had to see the glorious purple light, the sun had dipped below the horizon and a little short walk I found myself overlooking Moorgreen Reservoir, what was ahead of me was magic, and I had clearly found this magic, it was right in front of me.

Serenity under a pastel sky.

Purple is the end of the heatwave.

A Purple Postcard.

Floating on purple.

Purple Vista.

For I had walked along a track and a pathway that I had walked on many times before - but on this occasion I had found magic by the water, and that was during a heatwave, all be it when it was slightly cooler; but even if the landscape around me was looking parched, colour was still found and all that with the reservoir for company and that was just something else, something that as a landscape photographer I shall have in the back of my mind for a long time; for next time I do that particular walk, will I see scenes like that? Certainly not, and capturing magical scenes by the water is something that I shall not forget, neither will I forget the heatwave, but even during a heatwave beauty can still be found. All you have to do is find it.