#ewloe castles

[runawayandhide]

#ewloe #ewloe castles #ewloe castle #castles #wales #welsh castles #nature photography #photography #forest castles #aesthetic #haunted #haunted buildings #ghosts #ghostcore #history #historical buildings #historical #historical castles #uk castles

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Real life inspiration for my writing

As mentioned earlier in the week, I take inspiration for my writing from many real places that are around where I live. This week I took a walk in my spare to take photos to show y'all what I'm talking about and the real world inspiration from my local area that served as inspiration for my books

Hawarden castle- Chronicles of the isles

I wrote a good chunk of the original draft of chronicles on the estate of the castle which served as inspiration for Selenia valley in chronicles of the isles.

Gladstone library- The house of hidden miracles

So this is where I spend most of my time writing/studying anyway since I live very close however this served as a large inspiration for the house of hidden miracles. (I should clarify that I did not take this photo as there are very specific rules about photography at the library and I didn't fancy getting in trouble)

Newborough forest- The house of hidden miracles/ Chronicles of the isles.

Newborough forest served as a very large inspiration for the disappearing isles in chronicles which is coincidentally fitting since it is also directly next to Ynys Llanddwyn which fans of merlin will better recognise as the the real life isle of the blessed. In the house of hidden miracles I also took inspiration from the forest for the woods surrounding Blanchard academy.

Wepre park/ewloe castle- The house of hidden miracles/ Chronicles of the isles

You will notice that this just happened to be the location for my profile picture which was weirdly unrelated and was part of a friend's photography project. Anyway this served as inspiration for the draig cave storyline of chronicles and the photo i took of the benches surrounding the pond/ fountain gave me the idea for a key component of the house of hidden miracles.

This was actually a really fun mini project for me to do this week, it is a bit different from my usual type of posts but I do think it is quite interesting. I may do a second part once hohm actually releases as well as tales from the isles. Where do y'all get your inspiration from?

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #bookish #booklr #writing #fantasy books #creative writing #book blog #ya books #ya fantasy books #writers block #tumblr writers #writerblr #writers on tumblr #writer problems #female writers #writerscommunity #writerscorner #writers #writblr #women writers #queer writers #writersofig #writing wip #writing community #writing life #fiction #book #book review #book recommendations

[bluesman56]

In the green by Tony

#Ewloe Castle #Wales #Wepre park #albie #britain deeside #castle #europe #geo:lat=53.20249159 #geo:lon=-3.06148167 #geotagged #ian #valley #©2021 Tony Sherratt #2021 10 01 112256

[penguincube89]

Lovely stroll around some castle ruins, would recommend! #nature #strollsunday #freshair (at Ewloe Castle) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuRNYM5jhitpB0PKJ9hHNP9qzjflI89MBOtRfw0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=f6jbxo7g8g6v

#nature #strollsunday #freshair

[apstockton3]

350 - Ewloe Castle

Wepre Park, Deeside

#sony365 #photooftheday #ewloe #deeside #flintshire #wepre #park #history #gwynedd

[rosie-holt]

Ewloe Castle ruins built in 13th century

…inspiration

[padansk]

#ewloecastle great place, stunning park thats built around a central gorge. This little path is to the right of the castle ruins. (at Ewloe Castle) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8T-mJZFN8g/?igshid=1snupf097ntt7

#ewloecastle

[eloisearnott-blog]

Edit of Pilot Project

Memories/shoot 1:

This project started off with thinking of ways to make images look like memories, and I began to explore with mirrors. My idea for the project is to explore my heritage in Wales contrasting with my current life in London, specifically Wembley. This shoot was of the tall buildings and construction out of my bedroom window in Wembley. I decided to use 35mm film as this looks more vintage and like a memory than digital, and whilst it is possible to make digital look old, I wanted to keep post production to a minimum to make it more genuine, and film was still prevalent when I was growing up so it felt right to use it. It was clear from the start of this initial shoot that I needed a better mirror, as the one I was using had too thick a border, and I needed a free edge to get the effect I wanted. There was issues in development of my roll of film for this and the process was faulty, leading to low contrast images that had a yellow tinge to them. My camera was also faulty, the focus was obscured by a broken piece of black felt tape, but this was soon fixed.

Memories 2/shoot 2:

I bought a new mirror that had a free edge and started the experiments with that, and also wanted to bring some more objects that I thought would be distorting like a memory. The whole idea for making a memory in a photograph was distortion, as this is how I remember most of my childhood (my memory is not the best). I thought of using kaleidoscopes and crystals. When I tested the kaleidoscope with my phone it worked perfectly and was exactly how I wanted it to look, but when it came to using it with my camera it was a flop. This didn’t work because the lens on my camera is considerably bigger than the lens on my phone, and so I would need a much bigger kaleidoscope. The same was true for the crystals, it was too small and was just a blur in-front of the lens rather than a reflection from a different part of the scene. The mirror worked really well, however, and I played around with angles and positions from out of my window again, before I took it all to Wales.  

 Memories 3/shoot 3:

This was the first shoot I did in Wales, and went to the Cwm Idwal mountain range, where I spent a lot of my childhood, from primary school trips in 2009 to doing shoots for A-Levels In 2015. I was still focused on distortion and took with me the mirror, glitter, a bigger kaleidoscope and a crystal perfume bottle. The mirror worked excellently and was the perfect tool to make the mountain-range landscape look distorted and was quite similar to how I remember that place from a decade ago. The kaleidoscope again did not work, even though this one was much bigger, it just looked blurry and to get it to work even a little bit I had to hold it very far away from the lens. The glitter also didn’t work and didn’t even show up in the prints despite the mounds of it I poured on. I thought the light would reflect off the glitter and make everything seem sparkly and obscured. The crystal perfume bottle also did not work as it was too small and a weird shape. I started to sway away from distortion and look at other methods of creating a photographic memory.

Double Exposure 1/shoot 4:

I had been looking at photographers who use ‘in camera’ double exposures, rather than digitally manipulated versions, and thought this would be a great way to show the contrast between my old and my new life. I had never done double exposures before so I researched a lot into how to do it, and decided to use the method of reloading film that’s already been exposed. This would be easier as the two locations I was going to be using are 200 miles apart. I began by shooting a roll in Cwm Idwal and then reloading it and shooting in Wembley. I shot on black and white but decided afterwards that it would be better to shoot on colour and then change it to black and white in post if I wanted to. I also shot the mountains out of focus on purpose to give a sense of perspective against the buildings in the next round of exposures and so that it wouldn’t be too messy. However, few images I did where both sets of exposures is in focus is much more compelling than the out of focus ones and so I will do that in the next shoot. I had read that you need to bend the tip of the film leader so that it does not go back into the casing but this did not work and I needed to find another way to get it out. I figured this out eventually and shot the construction work in Wembley Park where I live. This was to signify that I am building a new life in London over my old life in Wales. I really loved the images in this shoot and will carry on exploring with double exposures as I feel that they are more relevant to my topic of memory and identity.

Double exposure 2/shoot 5:

Next I decided that I wanted to explore light and shadow and how it relates to double exposure. I did this by photographing a woman who has also started a new life in London to represent myself in the images, and found a makeup artist to do a makeup look that really highlighted the high points of the face and deepened the contour points. I then shot the model in four different places which each had different lighting. The first place was the shower in my bathroom as the lighting seemed very strong in there but the light metre said it was too dark so I scrapped the shower. The second location was in against a white wall with artificial lighting. Unfortunately this part of the shoot was the worst of the three. The issue my camera had at the beginning of the project has happened again without my knowledge and every shot is out of focus, including the second round, and because of the poor lighting on the model she is virtually invisible. The third and fourth places were backlit with natural light and then front-lit with natural light respectively. This also went badly due to the focus issue, and the backlit images are terrible as you can see no facial features at all. The shutter speed I used was 1/60 which should have been okay but clearly was too slow as the images are very dark and blurry.  As this was just an experiment for lighting I did this in my flat rather than a studio, but next time I will use not use models or artificial lighting and stay with landscapes. For the places in Wales I explored more childhood areas, starting with Talacre Beach in Llanasa, as I went on holiday to this area many times and went on many day trips. I focused on the sand and water for texture and then the lighthouse there as it was a large part of my childhood. The second half was in Wepre park again as I really liked the trees and the waterfall from the previous shoot. I also lined up the film wrong ,despite marking it with pen, when I reloaded it and thus the two rounds are unaligned and it looks messy. I do not like how any of these images came out and shall not be using models again, instead sticking to landscapes, which I shall do next.

Double exposure 3/shoot 6:

For this shoot I decided to expand my locations in Wales away from mountains and into other places where I spent a lot of my childhood. The first place I went is Wepre Park in Deeside, Connahs’s Quay, Flintshire. I used to live in Flintshire so I visited this area quite often. Wepre Park is home to Ewloe Castle, Point Amber, a waterfall and the Woodland Walk. Here I photographed the waterfall, evergreen trees and the castle, as well as the view of the treetops from the top of the castle. I then reloaded the film and shot the view of Wembley and Harrow from the 17th floor balcony of my building to mimic being on top of the castle and looking out over where I live. I attempted to fix the issue with my camera, which was fruitless, and the same issue happened where nothing is in focus. Some of the shots from the start of the shoot are in focus, but by the second round they are out of focus again. I also managed to misalign the film again but I like how this looks on some of the images. I really like this shoot and some of the images I feel portray memory, disruption and chaos extremely well. My intention to create a hazy, confusing image was fulfilled and I love these images. The colours seem vintage and foggy like a memory, and while I edited them slightly on photoshop to make perfect I did not do too much to them in post. Next time I will use a different film camera that has a working focus.

#6IMAG001W #edit of pilot project #shoots #memory #wales #wembley

[dry-valleys]

At the medieval Hawarden Castle, near the border of England and Wales.

This is an ancient site of fortification and habitation- its name is Anglo-Saxon for “high enclosure”) and what I saw on Sunday is the ruin of a castle built soon after the Norman Conquest at the behest of Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester (whom we also encountered at Tutbury- small world), Hawarden was held by Simon de Montfort during his rebellion against Henry III and after Montfort was defeated and killed at Evesham in 1265, was attacked and slighted by his erstwhile ally Llywellyn the Last, who focused his efforts on his nearby fortress of Ewloe.

After Edward I’s invasion of Wales, which began in 1277, Hawarden was entrusted to Roger de Clifford who ordered a restoration programme which began in 1281 and immediately provoked a rebellion which led to Llywellyn and Roger both being killed in 2282, and Llywellyn’s brother Dafydd being hung, drawn and quartered at Shrewsbury in 1283.

Hawarden was further strengthened and in the later centuries was held by the Stanley family, who became close allies to the Tudor monarchs. In the Civil War it held for the king before its commander Colonel Ravenscroft was obliged to surrender it in March 1646, a month after the fall of Chester.

The victorious Parliamentarians ushered in the new age of Hawarden by slighting the castle- which was never used for military purposes again- and in 1651 the state sold the land to John Glynne, whose descendents (of whom a lot more later!) are still the owners.

In 1752-7 the new Hawarden house was built, and is a Grade I listed building because of the remodeling done by Thomas Cundy in 1809-10, and because the legendary William Ewart Gladstone, our greatest prime minister, married into the Glynne family in 1839 and was owner from 1854 until 1898; much more on him in the next post!

Hawarden has been tracked through art; (1) is by Thomas Badeslade in 1740, (9) by FO Morris in 1880 when WEG was owner and prime minister, and unless otherwise specified from Sunday. 

The house is generally closed off but if you look out you can find opening times and see more than I did, which this post is hopefully a taster for!

#photos #wales #cymru #medieval #william gladstone

[thequirkycoach]

First day of my #NorthEastWales adventure @northeastwales_gogledddcymru Seen THREE Castles - Ewloe, Flint and Rhuddlan, @gladstoneslibrary Prime Ministerial Library and a Holy Well 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿😀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Staying in @ruthincastlehotel whilst I explore the area. Follow my #Instagram Story Highlights for updates 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿#altogetherbrilliant #findyourepic #wales (at Flint Castle)

#northeastwales #findyourepic #wales #instagram #altogetherbrilliant

[artcab]

Need to do a bit of pointing #ewloecastle #castle #wales❤️ (at Ewloe Castle)

#ewloecastle #castle #wales❤️

[cluboftigerghost]

Day 10 and the gentle sound of the ruins at Ewloe Castle in Flintshire.

#30 Days Wild #SoundCloud #nature #woodland #birdsong

[bluesman56]

When puppies don’t like bridges by Tony Via Flickr: Walking up to Ewloe Castle

#Ewloe Castle #Wales #Wepre park #albie #britain deeside #castle #europe #geo:lat=53.20249159 #geo:lon=-3.06148167 #geotagged #ian #valley #©2021 Tony Sherratt #2021 10 01 112458

[bluesman56]

Ewloe Castle by Tony Via Flickr: Ewloe Castle, was built around 1257, is a relic of a brief triumph that the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had over the English Crown and the Anglo-Norman Marcher Lords in the mid 13th century. Until then, this part of north-east Wales had been the starting point for repeated Norman invasions of Gwynedd for more than 150 years. But beginning in the early 1230s, the Princes of Gwynedd had started to gain the upper hand against the Anglo-Normans and Plantagenets who had taken territory in North Wales. Eventually by the late 1250s, the Welsh had reached Ewloe retaking lands up to the England–Wales border. A fortification had existed on or near the site since the Battle of Ewloe (Welsh: Brwydr Cwnsyllt) in 1157, when the Welsh successfully ambushed an English force under the command of Henry II (as they marched to Twthill at Rhuddlan). The English king only narrowly avoiding being killed himself having been rescued by Roger, Earl of Hertford.

#Ewloe Castle #Wales #Wepre park #albie #britain deeside #castle #europe #ian #valley #©2021 Tony Sherratt #2021 10 01 112956

[bluesman56]

Ewloe Castle by Tony Via Flickr: a native Welsh castle built by the Kingdom of Gwynedd near the town of Ewloe in Flintshire, Wales. The castle, which was one of the last fortifications to be built by the native Princes of Wales, was abandoned at the beginning of the invasion of Wales by Edward I in 1277. Its construction, using locally quarried sandstone, appears to have continued piecemeal over many years and may have not been completed. On taking the castle, the English Crown gave it little military value and allowed it to fall into ruin.

#Ewloe Castle #Wales #Wepre park #albie #britain deeside #castle #europe #ian #valley #©2021 Tony Sherratt #2021 10 01 113318 #structure #fortress #defence #Architecture

[eloisearnott-blog]

Double Exposures- Wepre Park/Wembley

For this shoot I double exposed Wepre Park in Connah’s Quay, a place I visited a lot when I was young, to photograph the waterfall, trees and Ewloe Castle. I then exposed the view from the balcony on the 17th floor of my building. I wanted to show the stark contrast between Welsh castles and parks with the geometric city world of Wembley Park.

#6IMAG001W #double exposure #wepre park #wembley