28 March 2008 - River Wansbeck, Stakeford, Northumberland.

A late afternoon visit to the River Wansbeck at Stakeford to take a few photos for the Rivers Section of our Northumberland Photo website.

Below are two views of the "Black Bridge" which carries the railway to Ashington, in the background is the road bridge near the mouth of the river. The third photo shows one of the Swans seen in the other pictures, curious to see if any food was on offer - it hissed and went away when there wasn't!

24 March 2008 - Amble, Northumberland.

Today we visited Amble Harbour again. The wind was not as strong as the previous few days but still strong enough to be whipping up waves over the pier and breakwater.

A few heavy wintry showers were still passing over too, as the photo of the harbour below shows. In the second photo waves are breaking against the end of the pier while a calmer view of the River Coquet is seen in the third view.

22 March 2008 - Blyth, Northumberland.

We visited Blyth Harbour and South Beach today to take photos of the sea as the wind was still blowing from the north. It was not as rough as the previous day at Amble but there were still plenty of big waves.

The first photo shows waves breaking over the base of the East Pier beside the lighthouse. The second view was taken from the promenade at the south beach using a very long lens, just as a heavy snow shower was starting. The third view was taken from the West Pier and shows the large waves that were rolling up to the South Beach.

21 March 2008 - Amble, Northumberland.

Today, Good Friday, was also the first day of Spring and one of the highest tides of the year. Storm force north winds meant very rough seas - ideal for taking photos at Amble where the breakwater and piers were sure to be taking a heavy pounding - and they were.

Mountainous seas made a spectacular sight for those that braved the freezing wind and heavy snow showers as the photos below show. Even the River Coquet in the harbour was very rough.

We took the first three photos from the comfort of the car using a very long lens resting on a bean bag, but ventured out briefly onto the quayside for the last one with a compact camera.

16 March 2008 - Blyth South Beach, Northumberland.

Today we went for a walk along Blyth South Beach, one of our favourite local walking beaches. It was another windy and cold day and though the car park was busy, the beach was not. The fish and chip shop was doing a good trade though.

The first photo below is a view from beside the West Pier, showing a lone walker braving the wind. The second photo is of the church on the road to Seaton Sluice, with a crow watching the camera.

The last photo is an all too common sight in this country these days - Fort House public toilets - locked up like a fortress - not as convenient as the sign states!

11 March 2008 - Bothal, Northumberland.

Today we walked to Bothal Village, where we saw a very unusual site - an open top double decker bus.

This used to be one of the main routes from Ashington to Morpeth and buses of all sizes used to struggle up Bothal Bank, but that was long ago. This bus was carrying school children on a visit to the grounds of Bothal Castle and Church among other places. They had a nice fine morning for it.

07 March 2008 - Coney Garth, near Bothal, Northumberland.

On a very windy afternoon today we went to take some photos around Coney Garth, between Bothal and Ashington. There is a lake here that was once a small pond but has been growing for years due to old mine workings. It is a haven for wild birds, particularly large flocks of Canada Geese that stop over on their migration routes.

Below are views of the farm next to the lake and the lake itself which was quite rough with waves formed in the strong wind.

02 March 2008 - Blyth South Beach, Northumberland Coast.

This afternoon we went for a walk at Blyth South Beach. Just as we arrived some heavy rain showers also arrived, what a contrast to a few weeks earlier when it was more like a summer afternoon. In between the showers we walked along to the South Harbour and back.

Below is a view south past the beach groynes towards Seaton Sluice and St. Mary's Island with a heavy shower heading out to sea. In the second photo Gulls congregate on the beach - all facing into the wind.

The third photo is a silhouette of a cyclist on the promenade with the sun's rays shining through a hole in the very dark clouds.

© Copyright - All photos on this website are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced on any website or in print without prior permission. To use any photo please use the enquiry form at les-bell.com

© Copyright - All photos on this website are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced on any website or in print without prior permission.

To use any photo please use the enquiry form at les-bell.com