Sunday 31 August 2014

Wide Angle Canal

I've bought a new wide-angle lens for my Fuji cameras, which is especially useful for my favourite types of images, landscapes and architecture.
I had my first chance to use it today on a familiar stretch of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal, and was really pleased with the field-of-view it gives me!
It's also fully manual, which means I have to exercise my brain to achieve the correct focus and exposure.
I'm pleased with my first results.

Fuji XT1, 12mm Samyang F2 lens.


St James With St Thomas Church, Poolstock


Lock 1, Leigh Branch

Moored Up near Lock 1

Leigh Branch View Towards Poolstock

Entering The Leigh Branch

Doubling Up In Lock 86

Under Henhurst Bridge At Lock 86, B/W


Wednesday 20 August 2014

City Canalscape

In 1765, the Bridgewater Canal was opened at Castlefield, creating a level link by water between the Duke of Bridgewater's coal mines at Worsley and the centre of Manchester. At Castlefield Junction the canal linked into stretches of the River Medlock and the River Irwell that had both been incorporated into the canal and used the basin for the canal wharves. Many of the great warehouses built around this basin are still standing and have been converted for modern use.

Fuji X-T1, 18-55mm lens.

Cast iron rail bridge over the Rochdale Canal
Bridgewater, barges and Beetham.
 In almost 100 years, 10 major warehouses were constructed in the Basin area, including Merchants and Middle Warehouses (below). Others included Dukes, Kenworthy, Grocers, Staffordshire, Victoria and Albert, and the Great Northern Warehouse.

Merchants and Middle Wharves, the oldest warehouses regenerated.


 The arrival of the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, in Castlefield in July 1761, marked the start of the Industrial Revolution. In 1802 the Rochdale Canal joined here at Duke's Lock, lock 92; this was the first canal to cross the Pennines, but the Duke insisted on finishing the link and controlling the junction, hence the name!

Two Towers
 The canal basin at Castlefield is crossed by four large railway viaducts dating from 1848, 1877 and 1898. Seen below are three of them.

The Cornbrook, Great Northern and M,SJ&AR viaducts and a footbridge, Bridgewater Basin.

Urban nature.