New exhibition

Tags

Avebury, exhibition, Grovely Woods, photographic art, photography, Stonehenge, Swallowcliffe, The Royal Oak, wiltshire

I’m delighted to say that I have been invited to exhibit at The Royal Oak, an award winning country pub and hotel situated in the picturesque village of Swallowcliffe in Wiltshire’s gently rolling Nadder Valley. Their wide ranging support of local enterprise includes food and furniture, ale and artists – and I’m pleased to be the first to represent the photographic medium.

‘My Wiltshire’, running from 4th June to 5th August, is a personal view of this beautiful and historic county featuring a selection of both colour and mono images.

I will be in attendance on the 8th June, 4th July and 5th August – times in the image above or on my website. As I said, I’m delighted – how pleasant to spend a few hours loitering in a wonderful pub with a really good excuse?! 😀

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)

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The Handsel trees

Tags

B&W, folklore, Grovely Woods, Handsel sisters, Handsel trees, mono, paganism, project, wicca, Wilton, witchcraft

On the edge of Grim’s Ditch in Grovely Wood (Wiltshire) and surrounded by conifers, four ancient beech trees mark the final resting places of the Dutch Handsel sisters. Soon after their arrival in the area in 1737, an outbreak of smallpox claimed over 130 lives and, accused of witchcraft, the four sisters were taken into the woods, bludgeoned to death and buried in separate graves to prevent them conspiring any further. It is claimed that the trees grew on the unmarked graves to serve as a reminder to the locals of their terrible deed and to this day the sisters are still said to haunt the area; offerings adorn the largest tree and a shrine lies in the hollow in its base …..

First sister

Fallen sister

Third sister

Fourth sister

Pentagram

Secret shrine

A gentler blow

Rovio

…. and woe betide those who dare remove any of the offerings!

Part of an ongoing project – please see my website for more.

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)

A new dawn

Tags

dark woods, dawn, Grovely Woods, misty morning, sun ray, sunrise

So, almost seven months since my last post …. I’d like to think that this was the start of a new era, a new blogging me perhaps?! Not much chance of that – and just as well I didn’t make any New Year resolutions! Truth be told, what with one thing and another, I’ve barely even touched my camera. Finally, with a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and a morning fog forecast I promised myself a ‘photographic fix’ in the nearby woods.

As usual, I’d readied everything the night before so I could grab my kit and head off before sun up – except that in my rusted state I’d forgotten a torch.  With all senses on full alert I felt my way along the muddy track that wound into the woods; it was a silent world full of the smell of damp earth and rotting leaves, shadowy trunks sliding past and an occasional falling twig crashing through the canopy when suddenly a deer barked …. its eerie cry subsiding way before my heart rate! It was answered by another across the woods and gradually, as darkness faded and birds were roused, the dawn chorus began.

Very little fog but a fabulous start to the day nonetheless!

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)

Can’t see the wood for the trees …

Tags

Beech trees, fog, Grovely Woods, Instagram, photography, see the wood for the trees, silver birch, tree avenue, wiltshire, winter

So, another month has gone already – what happened?!

Truth be told I’ve actually managed to get out and about a reasonable amount with my camera but, shooting in RAW (with the processing that necessitates) and trying to maintain some sort of discipline with Lightroom, takes time. I also find that having too many photos makes choosing difficult – definitely a case of not seeing the wood for the trees …. and all the more appropriate considering my penchant for them! 🙂

I’ve managed a few quick posts to Instagram so for now I’ll ‘cheat’ by reposting them here. Sorry to those who will now have seen them twice – I’ll try not to do it too often!

 

(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)