Friday the 28th of February 2025, A cat, a Fiddle and a Windmill. The quirks of and unusual parts of Derbyshire that you probably did not know existed.

Derbyshire is one of those counties of "many various contrasts." For it is a county that is famed for having the famous landscapes of the Derbyshire Dales and White Peak with its limestone geology that has shaped the landscape, to the more dramatic Dark Peak and the moorlands that can be found, yet when you step away from the more touristy hotspots and trails that Derbyshire is known for, you can come across some pretty interesting and unique places, and it was just yesterday on the 28th of February 2025, that a visit to the aptly named "The Windmill Farm" was on the cards, yes it might have been the last day of February 2025, the last day of Winter or at least metrological Winter - and yet somehow it was more akin to Spring, the light was just perfect and the landscape with its vistas and views extending from Derbyshire towards Nottinghamshire was just something else to behold, and whilst The Windmill Farm is located between West Hallam and Kirk Hallam/Ilkeston, a part of Derbyshire that is perhaps that little bit more, 

"Underexplored and off the beaten track."

What I came across yesterday was a landscape of beauty, a landscape in which suburbia gives way to gentle rolling Derbyshire hills, and the borderlands of Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire in the distance, the town of Ilkeston on the horizon and Ilkeston itself is a town that upon first appearances might seem a little bit forgotten and yet it is also a town that has a curious and interesting history that is waiting to be discovered, yet a short distance away from Ilkeston is a landscape that is ignored by many that seems somehow that little bit more beautiful with its interesting landscape and hidden vistas and vies that are just waiting to be discovered. (If you want to find out more information about The Cat and Fiddle Windmill then you can do here: http://www.mapperleyhistory.com/Villages/Dale%20Abbey/Dale-Abbey-1.html)

"As far as the eyes can see, a Panorama of Beauty, Derbyshire to Nottinghamshire in the distance" - (Panorama)

"Rolling and gentle Derbyshire Landscapes, off the Beaten Track."

"Just gently floating near the Mill."

Thursday the 27th of February 2025, Where Suburbia meets Water World. The beauty and magic of Beeston Rylands and Beeston Marina.

Situated just a short distance away from Nottingham and its city centre is a Suburb called Beeston, upon appearances it might seem "quite simply like any other suburban area of Nottingham." And yet when you delve closer you come across a suburb built upon the industries of yesteryear, and of course textiles with clues such as old silk mills that have now been converted into accommodation, yet Beeston is also a popular suburb due to its close proximity to The University of Nottingham, with many students who call Beeston home. Yet Beeston is also close by to The River Trent, and a short five minute drive from the hustle and bustle of Beeston, you end up at Beeston Rylands - here of course things feel different, clues that Suburbia meeting the waters edge can be seen, and it was on Thursday the 27th of February 2025, that I had visited Beeston Rylands, and of course Beeston Marina, a community that exists with the influences of The River Trent and The Beeston Canal and provides an interesting landscape, for this is truly,

"Where Suburbia meets Water World."

And me, well after a delightful lunch at The Boathouse Café, at Beeston Marina, I had to send the drone up and capture the unique landscape down below - and yet under a delightful and beautiful spring sky, it was strange to think that this serene part of Beeston and this suburban area of Nottingham, is only a short distance away from the city centre of Nottingham, and yet somehow it seems a world away.

"The Trent, The Canal, a Unique Water World."

"The beauty of The Weir"

"Suburbia, The Canal, The quirky and interesting landscape of The Rylands."

"Boats and Buildings, life at the edge of the water."

"Where Suburbs and Water they meet" - (Panorama)

Monday the 24th of February 2025, A welcome return to Blue Skies and a sense and feeling of Spring within the air.

Oh really February 2025, you really have been meh! Grey as well, but as the month has progressed you have managed to present some surprises, and as the end of February has come around - the grey Winter weather seems to have metaphorically broken and has given way to some beautiful almost Spring like skies, and on Monday the 24th of February 2025, what did I just have to do, but to capture the late afternoon skies, a lovely shade of blue and of course the views of the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire borderlands of Suburbia stretching down to The Erewash Valley in the distance, for it was magical to see and yes despite only capturing the following three photos, 

"Encroaching elements of Spring could be felt in the air."

"The opulent light, a glorious sky."

"Over Suburbia, to The Erewash Valley, a Gentle Winter Light, a feeling like Spring is on the way."

"The magic of a late February light."

Sunday the 2nd of February 2025, When it is still seasonally Winter and yet it feels as if it could be Spring! Views and vistas from The Chapel on The Hill.

The last time that I had visited The Chapel on The Hill, situated just above the Nottinghamshire town of Kimberley was on the 13th of November 2024 - a Wednesday and of course that was when a transition from Autumn to Winter was taking place, seasonally though it was classed as Winter and did it feel like it? Perhaps it did, but of course the light was doing something truly magical and magnificent to say the least and I was completely taken away, however though Winter has been so far, from the end of 2024 to now a bit "meh!" To say the least, the weather has not been that good and and whilst Winter has not exactly been really cold, it has been grey and with quite a lot of rainfall, plus storms which have passed through. 

But today though, a change and that was the "welcome return of the Blue Sky!" And of course that came with another question? Just where to capture? Where would be a good place to get vistas and views, perhaps even with a Spring element to them? And before long, a decision had been made to re-visit the beautiful and charming Chapel on The Hill, perched high above the Nottinghamshire town of Kimberley, plus with the sky being clear, on the horizon due North West it was possible to see Crich Stand and Alport Height just visible on the horizon. 

And yet amazingly, with the glorious sunshine, gentle light and blue skies, I almost forgot that seasonally it is still Winter, for this time around it felt as if it was Spring, and the conditions were perfect for capturing the following photographs. 

"The Town and The Chapel."

"Just floating and soaring. The Winter light, feels like it could be Spring."

"The magic of the gentle Winter light."

"The bare trees of Winter, a Chapel of a light and glow."

"Forms, Shapes, Shades and Light."

"The Trees of Winter bare, a Glow below."

"The Beauty, The Bypass, a Winter light that shines."

"Arts of the Chapel and The Road for The Commute."

"Floating and Soaring, Patterns and Abstracts, the beauty of Architecture."

"Quirky is the Chapel, Abstracts and Arts under the Winter Light."

"A slight change of Perspective, the beauty of The Chapel."

"Beauty from 400ft. Gentle below is the Chapel."

"Shades, Glorious Light, for is this Artwork?"

"Architecture, Light, Winter a Glow."

"Patterns and Arts, the Delightful afternoon light and the beauty of the Serene Chapel Below."

"Pathways, Circles, Bare Trees, The beauty and Unique exist."

Thursday the 30th of January 2025, The calmness, the serenity, The River Trent down below and a delightful Nottinghamshire view.

Nottinghamshire is one of those counties that somehow "feels a little bit left behind in the world of landscape photography." And that is quite strange really - just googling landscape photography UK, will bring up a plethora of content from other landscape photographers, and just where do they tend to photograph? Well the more well known areas of the country from The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Peak District.... You kind of get the idea. But Nottinghamshire though is a county of many surprises, and it was on Thursday the 30th of January 2024, that after a lovely lunch at Fables Coffee House in Edwinstowe, a delightful drive through the Nottinghamshire countryside took place, and just heading along the A616 towards Kelham and then following the course of The River Trent, via the villages that sit on the banks of The River Trent happened, what I saw was a county that really does lend itself to landscape photography with a plethora of beautiful rolling hills, quaint villages and scenes just awaiting to be captured. 

And wait a minute, heading into the Nottinghamshire village of Fiskerton, I just had to stop off for a little while and take in the glorious views, behind me of course was a low setting sun which made for some rather difficult conditions to photograph, but instead I turned the drone around and managed to capture the following views of The River Trent and some delightful views of the Nottinghamshire countryside, the River Trent of course in these photos is winding its way north towards the historic town of Newark and beyond, but again encroaching Spring could also be felt, and yes, the blue sky probably helped with that. 

"A Trent of a Fiskerton Panorama."

"Floating above the River, a Trent of a View."

"Serenity and Calm, the Trent snakes its way. A delightful view."

Monday the 27th of January 2025, for sometimes you have to visit a location but try something different. Another visit to a location of calm and a location of History - the beauty of Belper River Gardens.

The last time that I visited the delightful and glorious "Belper River Gardens" it was on Saturday the 11th of January 2025, of course the landscape surrounding Belper River Gardens, well it was a little bit different - as the cold weather, lingering snowfall and frost had transformed the landscape and made it that little bit more magical, this time around though well the weather had changed yet again, and thankfully the skies, well they did have blue in them which was refreshing to see. But again there was something else, the light casting a beautiful light, golden to a degree on the River Derwent, at the side of the old brick mill, yes the snow might have gone, but a certain Winter Bareness which lacked colour could also be seen, but somehow calmness could be felt along with a certain sense of serenity, and a feeling of encroaching Spring was surely in the air.

"The Golden Derwent Glow."

"Winter elements, the beauty of The River Garden Bandstand."

"Water, Elements, Bandstand."

"Beauty of Red Brick, the Old Mill." - (Colour.)

"Beauty of Red Brick, the Old Mill." - (Black and White.)

Thursday the 16th of January 2025, A truly glorious and ethereal flight looking down towards the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Borderlands of The Erewash Valley and a curious morning sense of Beauty.

"The Winter continues and the surprises, for they keep on coming along."

6.30am and what is that, I can see outside? For yet again the sight of frost, well "freezing frost" this time around has made a slightly marmite like return, but along with it, as 6.30am soon bid farewell and the light began to peek through, what else did I notice? Well that of course was a truly glorious Cloud Inversion, that could be seen in The Erewash Valley, magical it was and I knew that I had to capture it. Below of course are the photos that I had taken in the morning.

"Silence, Blue, Vista."

"The Dreamy like Morning, Cloud Inversion of Magic, the Winston Glow."

"Magical Morning, Erewash Dreaming."

"Just above the roofs, floating within a Cloud Inversion Dream?"

But then by the afternoon, I was looking out the window and noticed something else happening, for the sky was blue and yet to the west where I was looking, what was encroaching? Again a beautiful bank of fog, and again I just had to capture that, and below are those photos.

"Flying close to the mysterious beauty."

"Light and Fog, on the Cusp."

"Looming, As the Fog encroaches."

But I also had to capture a little video showcasing the beauty of what I had seen in the afternoon, for I had literally flown by the cusp of the encroaching fog, on what has in ways seemed like the most curious of Winter days, with a strange kind of ethereal beauty to it, and if you want to see the video footage that I captured, then it can be found here.

Saturday the 11th of January 2025, Taking a look at the cusp of Frost and Snow, combined with History. The stunning light and beauty of Belper River Gardens.

As a county goes, "Derbyshire" has some truly amazing and contrasting landscapes and those landscapes well they vary so much have there own unique and interesting elements, from the curious limestone dales of the southern parts of The Peak District National Park and The Derbyshire Dales all the way to the more dramatic, bleak and beautiful gritstone elements of The Dark Peak, which are part of the more Northern flanks of The Peak District National Park. But it also goes without saying that history can also be found, clues from yesteryear, and beauty within that history can also be seen. 

And it was on Saturday the 11th of January 2025 that I had visited Belper, a historical town located within the equally famous Lower Derwent Valley, a town that is located on the banks of The River Derwent and a town that old ghosts from The Industrial Revolution can be seen, and the most infamous landmark within Belper happens to be the old red brick Mill, that stands guard above the Belper skyline, next door to this old red brick Mill, is of course Belper River Gardens, a delightful place to walk and explore, to relax and watch the world go by or to grab a bite to eat in the glorious Park Life Café at The Swiss Tea Rooms, but as I was awaiting for Coffee to be served, I wanted to capture the beauty of Belper River Gardens and the mill from a unique perspective, yes I have photographed Belper River Gardens on many occasions before from ground level, but to get a different perspective from the air, well that just had to be done. 

And from above I was met with a truly delightful glorious light, dramatic yes, and one in which a contrast could be seen, a deep frozen frost, but elements of snowfall that was still on the ground, and yet looking westwards more snowfall could be seen, yet looking eastwards, the snowfall that was still lingering on the ground, well that was on the cusp of a more Frosted landscape. Yet a short distance away in Nottinghamshire, only the deep frost remains, and yet in Belper and its surroundings, the last lingering remains of Snow, and that is because of course of Altitude differentials within the landscape, but what I had come across, the views, well they were nothing short of magical.

"Within a frosty River Gardens Rush."

"Frosts to the left, Snow to the Right, and a Derwent Valley sense of Beauty."

"The River, The Gardens, a delightful light and a glorious Winter Belper Sight."

"The Bandstand, The Mill, Rays of Distant Winter Light."

"The Glorious Belper Winter Light, Cold and Bitter Glow."

"Above the trees, to The Mill."

"Floating gently above, the Gardens below."

"The Bandstand, The Mill, The Glorious Winter Light, a Distant Sight."