Derbyshire, a county of many contrasts, from its Limestone Dales, to the dramatic landscapes of gritstone and Heather Moorlands of the aptly named
"Dark Peak." Again they remain the better known parts of Derbyshire, yet what happens if you step off the tourist trails and routes of Derbyshire? Well you can come across some equally fantastic and glorious locations, and located just a short distance away from the former Bath Spa town of Ilkeston, a town of history that is seemingly ignored, well you get to West Hallam - a village that is located just a short distance away from Shipley Country Park, West Hallam itself might be a one of those
"blink and you miss it locations" but it does have history, history from a time in when the Ilkeston area was famed for its coal mining industries, but if you go through West Hallam, there is one place that you will come across, and that of course is a building that perhaps looks as if it should be in Stoke On Trent, a building that was once the former site of West Hallam Pottery, now though it is a café, which sells glorious homemade food and drinks, and has a curious
Japanese Inspired Water Garden to explore and unwind in - when you have also carried out a bit of retail therapy in the two small but perfectly formed shops that now exist within the former West Hallam Pottery, that is now called
The Bottle Kiln, I though have been visiting The Bottle Kiln, for many years, and over those years I have found the delightful Japanese Water Garden to be soothing and photogenic, but it was on Monday the 16th of September 2024, that I was allowed to capture The Bottle Kiln, from a completely different angle, that was from the sky, and of course I must say thank you, to Lee, one of the owners of The Bottle Kiln, for allowing me to capture The Bottle Kiln, from above.
 |
| "Above the Kiln." |
 |
| "The Kiln, The Surroundings of Suburbia, Patterns from above." |
But after a delightful coffee and glorious Treacle Tart, in the garden, it was then time to move onwards, to Shipley Country Park, another place and location that over many years I have been visiting, this time around for a short walk around Shipley Hill, and also to look for any signs of Autumn that I could see, did I see any signs of Autumn? Well that depends, seasonally it is still Summer, Meteorologically it is also Autumn,
"Hybrid Autumn" maybe? Well I did come across some colour changes. And yet, Shipley Country Park, again has links to the coal mining past, but also provides a unique parkland for many people to enjoy, because of its location which is close to the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Border, and is located between Nottingham and Derby, thus is also located in close proximity to The Erewash region of Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire. But hold on, the weather on Monday the 16th of September 2024, well that was also interesting, and from above, I managed to capture a landscape of beauty, and yet one that has seen changes - because Shipley Country Park, at one time had a famous neighbour, that neighbour of course was the former American Adventure Theme Park, which has now sadly gone
and is now a development, with houses currently occupied, houses to be built along with a mixture of retail and education, that is planned for the future.
 |
| "A Sense of Adventure, now but gone." |
 |
| "Gold, Green and Mapperley Reservoir." |
 |
| "Seeking Autumn, Seeing only a few signs amongst Green." |
 |
| "Amongst the green, Hybrid Autumn Clues can be seen." |
 |
| "A Hybrid Autumn Palette." |
 |
| "Trees, Green, Grass and a Golden Hue." |
 |
| "The Golden Glow of Shipley Hill." |
 |
| "An Autumn Painting Begins." |
 |
| "From Green, to Autumn, Transition Begins." |