UK Canal Path Photos: Part 12 Final

To see the other posts in this series Click Here or click on the label "Leeds-Liverpool Canal at the bottom of this post (or any other in the series).

This is part 12 and the last part of this series taken along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Enjoy!

Google Maps Link

Another one of those God-awful cattle gates meant to keep motorized vehicles out.  They do not work and are a major pain for anybody on a bicycle and heaven forbid you have a child trailer attached to your bicycle. 

Google Maps Link

Rather dramatic eh?

Google Maps Link

Filming for a movie was taking place in the courtyard outside during my visit, I was able to sneak a picture while everybody was on break.  I have no idea what the film was but I believe it was a documentary taking place during WWI.

That's it! (well for this series at least)

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 11

To see the other posts in this series Click Here or click on the label "Leeds-Liverpool Canal at the bottom of this post (or any other in the series).

This is part 11 of the series taken along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Enjoy!

Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link

Another more colorful bicycle route marker

Google Maps Link

I love these little markers.  They are the original markers along the canal when it was first built.  This one has been restored.

One more part and we will be in Saltaire!

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 10

To see the other posts in this series Click Here or click on the label "Leeds-Liverpool Canal at the bottom of this post (or any other in the series).

This is part 10 of the series taken along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Enjoy!

Google Maps Link

Another four locks and some cyclists taking a break.

Google Maps Link

The tour jumps quite a distance to this image most because there was really nothing terribly interesting that I decided to take a picture of.  Though overhead wires are not that exciting either really...

Google Maps Link

Just entering the more urbanized area of the town of Shipley, Saltaire is just on the other side.  The stone bridge on the left leads to the abandoned stone building you see without a roof.  I explored a little bit but there was not much to see unfortunately.

We are almost at Saltaire!  I will not regal you with pictures of my return since it was more of the same but I will mention some more about Saltaire once we arrive.

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 9

To see the other posts in this series Click Here or click on the label "Leeds-Liverpool Canal at the bottom of this post (or any other in the series).

This is part 9 of the series taken along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Enjoy!
Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link (approximate)

There are a number of these markers on the trail, a photo can not do it justice you simply have to find one and look at it up close.  It also gives distances to nearest cities along the route (cycle route 66 in this case) We are going to Shipley, another 4 miles.

Google Maps Link

Without a doubt this is the worst section of the trail.  Not because it is bad or dangerous but because it runs next to a sewage treatment facility.  You can see the fence over to the right, but technically it is on both sides of the canal.  The place sticks!  Zoom out a bit in Google and you will see what I mean.  I recommend passing through her are quickly as possible, seriously it was pretty bad.

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 8

To see the other posts in this series Click Here or click on the label "Leeds-Liverpool Canal at the bottom of this post (or any other in the series).

Part 8 of the series taken at the end of May 2009 along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link

Another section of British Waterways operated locks up head.  There is a rest and filling station for boats, with water and electricity available on the other side of the locks.  It is also one of the branch offices for British Waterway which I imagine they use to dispatch personnel to open various locks in this section of the canal.

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 7

To see the other posts in this series Click Here or click on the label "Leeds-Liverpool Canal at the bottom of this post (or any other in the series).  To keep excess text down I will not be linking directly to other parts of the series in each post but will instead post the link to the appropriate label with which you can browse through the entire series.  I imagine there will be quite a number of posts in this series so hopefully this will help in finding them a bit.

Now on to part 7!

Google Maps Link

This section was rather rough if you were riding anything less than a full mountain bike.  The bike I used had front suspension so it was not bad.  This was the worst "improved" section I came across on this trip.

Google Maps Link

Quack.  Yes British ducks still say quack.

Google Maps Link

The path becomes nicer and opens up again.  Note the two horses on the right and the just turning yellow fields of Rape Seed on the upper left.  If you look into the distance to the right of the cyclists in front you can see a couple masses of people coming along the trail.  I didn't get any pictures of them but they seemed to be on some kind of fundraising/awareness walk.

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 6

Part six in the series.  As a reminder these photos were taken at the end of May 2009 on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.  The previous parts of the series can be found below.


Part 1          Part 5
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Google Maps Link 

In certain areas the path becomes very wide and smoothly surfaced, it was always nice when that happened.  This approaches one of the major boat tie-up areas which you can see in the background.

Google Maps Link 

One of the narrow boats approaching a bridge.  They will have to pull up and have somebody jump off to move the bridge out of the way manually.  Also note one of the many idiotic gates to prevent cars/motorcycles from using the paths, these things are the bane of many UK cycle campaigners and are uniquely a British thing.

Google Maps Link

It is always slightly depressing when the trail changes to little more than a smoothed dirt path.  This was one of the better sections, it gets worse at other points along the trail.  Note the sketchy tied plastic bag on the fence...

Until next time thanks for viewing.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License -John

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 5

Part five in the series.  As a reminder these photos were taken at the end of May 2009 on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.  The previous parts of the series can be found below.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Google Maps Link

Some of the wildlife seen along the path, mostly birds or aquatic animals.  In this case I am not sure what bird species this is, but it is Heron or Egret like. 

Google Maps Link

Street View of the bridge

The canal bridge actually serves motor vehicle traffic and is on a pivot.  The right side swings around to provide clean passage through the canal, see the street view link above for a better view.

Google Maps Link

The canal obviously does not just go through idyllic countryside, it does go through towns, cities, and in this case a small commercial district facing an A-class road on the other side of these buildings

Until next time.  If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License -John

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 4

The series continues with part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link

The first marina and long term "parking" area for the narrow boats (or other craft).  There are a number of these facilities along the route and typically are set up like RV parks in the US, with water, electricity, gas etc.  There are also numerous short term moorings along the way, you saw one earlier before one of the locks.

Google Maps Link

There might have been locks here at some point, but they are long gone now.

Until next time.If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License -John

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 3

The series continues.

Part 1
Part 2

Google Maps Link

Second manual lock section I came to.  These are operated by the maintenance staff of British Waterways.  Passage is by request (with significant notice).  The white truck on the hill is from British Waterways and is waiting for a boat to arrive.   Note the Catenary system to the right for one of the British Rail main lines.

Google Maps Link

If you look closely to the right of the canal you can see the mooring spots for boats waiting to go into the locks.  I didn't know there were locks at this spot until I came around the corner, they were quite well hidden.

Google Maps Link

Third lock, also operated by British Waterways.  Nobody coming when this was taken though so most likely a boat was coming from the Leeds area heading north, and the worker at the previous lock would drive up here to get it ready once the boat had past.

Until next time. If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. -John

UK Canal Path Photos: Part 2

For the second in the series of canal photos from my 2009 study abroad in Leeds.
Part One

Google Maps Link

A very small field of what I presume is wild Rapeseed.

Rapeseed oil (modified into Canola in the US) is grown quite a bit in the EU for bio-diesel but also for cooking.  It was grown all around Yorkshire and I was able to buy locally produced and processed rapeseed oil for cooking  from some of the farmers markets in Leeds.

Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link

Until next time, If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. -John

The first in a planned series: UK Canal Path Photos

As I slowly work back into putting up a couple posts a week I want to start out with the basics of some of my most popular posts over the past couple years.  That of Photography of Infrastructure.

Now as writing a huge piece (blog wise) for each set of images and taking you through the area being featured is quite a bit of writing and research and still a bit much for me at the moment, I will instead feature a photograph every couple days or so that is part of a larger trip or series.

On some of them I will add a few notes and I will try to get Google maps links for the approximate location in case you are visiting the area and wish to see more.

I will start out with some of my more enjoyable trips in the UK (ok pretty much all of them were enjoyable, even my commute to the university if you didn't mind playing leapfrog with the buses and lorries or getting squeezed at the intersections when the bike-lane became way too narrow)

Lets start out with a trip I took to the town of Saltaire a UNESCO World Heritage Site, just north west of Leeds in Yorkshire England.  I took this trip at the end of May in 2009. Enjoy.

Starting out:
Leeds (Kirkstall) 10:22am
Google Maps Link

Note the helmet which I did not wear for the entire trip.

Google Maps Link

Google Maps Link

The first of many manual locks I would see on this trip.  The Canal is active as you will see later.

Until next time, If you would like larger copies of any of the pictures in this series please send me an email or add a comment and I will gladly provide.  All images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. -John

Putney General Store

click through for an article from preservationnation.org back in december 08. This is the store as it looked after the first fire.


As I mentioned here a couple times since July in my first post, I worked in Putney Vermont for the summer teaching photography at a progressive school, called The Putney School. Needless to say I have always loved Vermont, my family has a number of good friends in the state and I have just always loved their policies and who they are as a people. So it was so wonderful to work in Putney, which is a very small town on the New Hampshire border, near Brattleboro in the south. It was a dream come true.

That’s why I want to bring your attention to this little bit that happened on the first of November.

Background first, Putney has had a general store in the same spot for over 200 years and it was the oldest continually operating store in the entire state. The 3rd floor of the historic building in downtown Putney burned back in May of 2008 due to an electrical short. The Putney historical society bought the property and secured state and federal grants for the huge rebuilding of this historical landmark. This past Sunday, another fire broke out, this one has been deemed arson unfortunately. The society had almost completed all fund-raising and they were preparing to open in the spring of 2010 with new local owners.

That dream is no more. The store burned to the ground completely, the historic building was lost as were a good chunk of grant money already invested. The historical society is cautious but wants a new plan and wants to rebuild, believing Putney needs its general store. I am not going to force anybody(like I could on a blog :P), but I feel their plight is worthy and any help you can give would be so very much appreciated by everybody involved. The people that live in Vermont are so very wonderful and caring, the people of Putney especially so. They do not deserve this disaster and I have chipped in with a membership to help. If you are interested in helping please see the following message from the President of the association. Membership, donations, or if you are on Facebook, joining the group, are very much appreciated. If you are unable to do any of the above that’s fine, tell a friend, tell family. Vermont is a community that many in America wish they had, I know I do. Lets join with the folks in Putney and help them move forward!

Thanks, I appreciate it.

We voted as a board today to cautiously pursue the feasibility of rebuilding the store. We very much want to do this! Please consider joining our organization.

$15 gives you membership through 2010. Send a check to: Treasurer, Putney Historical Society Town Hall, Box 233 Putney, VT 05346

If you would like to include an additional, tax-deductible donation for the store, great! You can also make online donations at putneygeneralstore.org
Thank you.
Stuart Strothman
President
Putney Historical Society

Facebook Group
AP news article on the fire
Keene Sentinel story

(disclaimer: I in no way speak officially for this organisation, I am not even a member yet, although that is in progress, I just truly care about this town and its people.)