This morning's batch

[Rob MacKillop]

Went for a walk around the village, following the Benchmarks and Sundials Trail. First a couple of benchmarks (used for Ordinance Survey maps) and then a sundial in the corner of the Hawes Inn (plays a big role in Stevenson's Kidnapped), and then some other stuff we spied along the way.

 

[Wes Hall]

Very crisp images Rob, do the benchmarks have specific meanings to the number of marks?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Not that I know of, Wes. They were used for triangulating contours for OS maps, something to do with height above the mean water level. There used to be hundreds of thousands of them across the UK and Ireland, but there only three thousand or so left in Scotland, seven thousand in England. Antiquated technology.

 

[Chris Bennett]

I love these, Rob. The sundial one is great.
I've seen a few benchmarks, but they've only ever been as in the first image.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Cheers, Chris. I’d seen them before, but never given them a second thought until today.

 

[Wes Hall]

Cheers for the reply Rob; I'm particularly drawn to the flower (2nd to last)- it's got slight traces of magenta creeping into the petals and a bewitching cast. Superb.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Yes, the magenta lifts it a little. Very pleased with that.

 

[Dave Farnes]

Another great detail set. The sundial is unusual. I do like the bike wheel, the contrasts between stone, metal and vegetation make it most interesting.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Yes, the bike wheel is a fun one. I've passed it numerous times, watching the flowers gradually entangling themselves.

 

[Pete Askew]

A fine haul, Rob. The benchmarks are interesting as is the sundial (I'll need to have another look at Kidnapped to see where it is referenced as it's a few decades since I read it!). That bike is certainly a study in the making. When I got to the leaves I was struck by the beautifully captured texture, but then I got to the flowers. Sumptuous is the word I think!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

The hero in Kidnapped spends a night at the Inn, but wakes up on the Española, with a rather sore head. The adventure begins. They used to have a Stevenson Room, with photographs of him. It was a nice place to sit and read his works, but new owners came in, took them down, and now it looks like another dull room. That's progress for you!

The two leaves made an excellent print, I'm pleased to report.

 

[Pete Askew]

What, you picked them?! Sacrilege.

 

[Brian Moore]

That third flower fotie is particularly delightful, Rob.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Cheers, Brian.