Nigel's Photo Blog

                                                                                Tintern Abbey This evening, I am posting information on the romantic ruin of Tintern Abbey which is located on banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales.                                                                    River Wye close to Tintern Abbey   This was a Cistercian Abbey founded in 1131 by Walter fitzRichard of Clare (died probably 1137 or 1138). Walter was an Anglo-Norman nobleman . He was a member of a powerful family who was given lands around Chepstow Castle by King Henry I of England sometime before 1119. The Cistercian community relied on farming, an activity which prospered and facilitated growth in the religious complex at Tintern from an initial collection of wooden buildings to modest stone structures to a significant expansion in the early 13th century with the magnificent Gothic church as the centrepiece.                                                                        

                                                         View from Kirkstone Pass The Lake District is located in Cumbria, an enclave tucked away in North West England, just south of the border with Scotland. The area boasts a strong Scandinavian heritage as a consequence of immigration by Norwegian Vikings over one thousand years ago. Most of the Lake District comprises a National Park covering 885 square miles (500,000 acres) extending to about 30 miles (48km) in diameter. Resident population of the Lake District is about 42,000 but in the course of a year visitor numbers total about 12.0M reflecting the popularity of the hills and lakes. This rich natural beauty attracted famous literary identities including Arthur Ransome, William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. There are some 18 principal lakes of which Windermere and Coniston Water are most prominent.                                                             Lake Windermere   To a degree, the Lake District is simila

   This evening, I am posting information on  Charlestown, a small harbour community in Cornwall on the south coast of S.W. England. Location is about forty miles west of Plymouth.   Tall Ships     Seafood vendor Charlestown is a very picturesque harbour which doubles as a film and T.V. set from time to time. There is also industrial history, a role in WW2, commercial fishing and, possibly the piece de resistance , a collection of sea-going Tall Ships. Video clip of Tall Ships   Landing the Fish Catch, Charlestown Charlestown dates from the late 18th century. It was built by Charles Rashleigh who had the foresight to build a harbour on Cornwall's south coast to provide secure port facilities at a time when roads and railways were non-existent.Rashleigh died a broken man and bankrupt due to a major theft by one of his employees but the port venture proved a great success over the long term.   Carving of Neptune Sea God Over the years the port has served the fishing, minerals (tin

This evening, I am focusing on the Waterford Crystal Factory in Waterford , Ireland. Crystal manufacture has a 200-year-old heritage in Waterford. Here visitors can visit the showroom wherein can be viewed the world's largest collection of Waterford Crystal, make purchases and watch the entire crystal making process from wooden moulds to cutting and engraving. Here are the wooden moulds which are used in the first stage of shaping the molten crystal   Here is the blowing platform where Master Blowers shape and form the molten crystal using a furnace heated to 1400 degrees centigrade.   Master Cutter at work Finished Waterford Crystal Showroom at Waterford    Here is a selection of video clips: Cutting Crystal  Furnace Room  Sculpting and engraving crystal  Glassmaking   Overall, a high quality and unique visitor experience which is fully deserving of a visit when in southern Ireland.

                                                        Antrim Town Centre This evening, I am reporting on Antrim in Northern Ireland. Antrim is a town and civil parish in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland . It is situated on the banks of the Six Mile Water (river) on the north shore of Lough Neagh. (Lough means lake.).  The town has a population of about 23,000.  It is the   county town   of County Antrim and was the administrative centre of   Antrim Borough Council . It is 22 miles (35 km) northwest of   Belfast   by   rail and 18 miles by road. The town impresses as prosperous with a wide range of shops, banks and churches.                                           All-Saints Parish Church (Church of Ireland)                                                                           Barney's Bar                                       Antrim Castle Gate                                                       Six Mile Water flowing through Antrim    Not to be over

                                                                             Clew Bay This evening, I am posting information on the pleasant town of Westport which is situated in Clew Bay on the N.W. coast of Ireland.Location is fifty miles north of Galway.  Summary facts and information: Population 5500. Established 1780. Designed by James Wyatt in Georgian style of architecture. The Carrowbeg river runs through the town. See image below, Noted for high quality of life. Well resourced with bars, restaurants and hotels. Popular tourist destination. Visitors are attracted by Connemara, Achill Island, Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick (sacred mountain). Numerous festivals are held throughout the year. Ireland's National Famine Monument is located nearby, at Murrisk.                                                                  James Street, Westport        Carrowbeg River                                                  Irish road hazard-near Westport                                    

Introduction Northern Ireland is a compact region which offers landscapes, castles, geology, lakes, wildlife, film locations, a whiskey distillery, Irish culture, hiking trails, gardens and much more. Visitors at Giant's Causeway   Summary of Northern Ireland's history The Province of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, has a population of 1.8 million. Historically, Northern Ireland formed part of the Ui Neill territory. The Anglo-Normans arrived in 1169 and took control. During the 16th and 17th centuries Protestant settlers from England and Scotland were introduced and allocated land confiscated from locals. Ireland was partitioned in 1920 and 1922 leaving Northern Ireland (Ulster) within the U.K. In 1999 the Good Friday Agreement re-set the relationship between Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom. Following the 1999 settlement Northern Ireland has become a popular tourist destination and has much to offer in this respect.