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Northern Light: Ladybower
Northern Light creates difficulties for a cameraman who wants to shoot colour. All too often it means iron grey skies for a month at a time.

Sunsets can seem strange, because the horizon is nearly as high as the clouds. Sometimes you can view lightning from the side, an orange shaft fired from clouds almost overhead to a valley hundreds of feet below. Hail may briefly fall from a clear sky, and sports have been cancelled due to snow in mid-June.

But on those few rare days when the clouds depart, the northern sky can be a deep rich shimmering blue, where unpolluted air sings of summer … for an hour or two.

I both love, and am exasperated by, Northern Light. I always wanted Derbyshire to look like Florida. But now I am in Florida, I know it will never, ever look like Derbyshire.

My shots from Derbyshire begin with Ladybower Reservoir, trapped between a 1300 foot climb eastward to Sheffield, and Kinder Scout, the 2000 foot brute of the Peak District, to the west.

@ Northern Light: Ladybower
Aislin begins her photographic tour of Northern Light: Derbyshire.

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The Long and Winding Roads
‘Dry’ stone walls are so called because no cement is used in their construction. They dominate the fields of North Derbyshire, delineating ancient boundaries. There is no shortage of stones up there to make them from … but the skill to make these well is fast being lost.

These fields are on the high plateau above Bradwell, an area of marginal farming land where sheep are commoner than cows, and sun less common than lashing rain.

@ The Long and Winding Roads

White Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

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Fleeting Sunshine
As grey clouds scud across the sky, shafts of sunlight illuminate one field, then another in turn. One moment sunshine, another drizzle, but always wind. Tideswell is about a thousand feet up on the north west Derbyshire plateau, and there are far more sheep than people in the area.

@ Fleeting Sunshine
Whether it’s simply a nostalgic journey back to a bygone age or a discovery of the sights and sounds for very first time of a steam locomotive, it's well worth visiting one of the several railways offering the opportunity to visit their railway stations and take special trips on preserved railway lines whilst travelling through the delightful Derbyshire countryside.

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The Pennine Way
The first long distance trail in Britain was the Pennine Way, beginning in the heart of Derbyshire and ending in the borders of Scotland. Here we are close to the start, on the vast morass of Bleaklow, having just climbed “Jacob’s Ladder“ and crossed Featherbed Moss, where one foot in the wrong place is a leg lost in mud up to the thigh. Bleaklow (pronounced ‘Blake Low’) is even bleaker, but mercifully less damp, than Kinder Scout to the south.

@ The Pennine Way
Derbyshire is rich in natural mineral resources such as lead, iron, coal and limestone, which have been exploited over a long period. Lead, for example, has been mined since Roman times.

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Bleaklow
High on my list of regrets is never having stepped beyond this point on the moors. Beyond lies a Roman road known as “Doctor’s Gate”, having been improved by a Doctor Talbot in the middle ages. In those days, ‘gate’ meant ‘road’. So I have never taken the Doctor’s road, and probably never will.

A bleak place indeed. One can only marvel at the determination of the Romans to dominate northern England, making roads in the pitiless wilderness where snow can fall deep enough to cover the tops of telegraph poles.

@ Bleaklow
An industrial boom began in Derby when Rolls-Royce opened a car and aircraft factory in the town in 1907.

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On the “Monk’s Way”
Small reminders of departed powers litter the landscape of North Derbyshire. This post lies by the “Monk’s Way”, which led tens of miles from the Peak to a priory in far off Nottinghamshire. Where is the other post to form a gate? Where is the wall it might have opened a way through? Or is this a way marker for the weary traveler in high places?

In a lonely place like this, it is quite likely nobody knows any longer. The priory is long gone, as is the power of the Norman knight who founded it and gave it lands (stolen from the Saxons) almost a thousand years ago. Only the stones know why they are there.

@ On the “Monk’s Way”
The first human settlement of Derby was by the Romans, who built a fort on high ground around Belper Road, overlooking the River Derwent, with the aim of protecting the first boundary of their newly-conquered province. In around CE 80 they moved across the Derwent and built a new fort, Derventio, on the east side. In the 1970s, an industrial suburb of Derventio was discovered on Derby Racecourse, consisting of a 25ft wide road lined with timber buildings, two pottery kilns and a cemetery. The great Roman Road of Rykneld Street connected the garrisons of the wild north with the civilised Roman towns of the south and passed straight through Derventio. The Romans stayed for over three centuries, in which time they introduced ground-breaking engineering and plumbing.

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Cromford
Cromford is a pleasant village set among steep slopes just to the south of Matlock. You would not guess from this picture that the Industrial Revolution began here!

Richard Arkwright made the worlds first water powered cotton spinning mill and sited it here in 1771, because of the fast flowing River Derwent. Later the Cromford Canal was built to take woollen goods to the river Trent, and thus to the world.

Before Arkwright, there was only cottage industry. His was the first factory anywhere. What he did in rural Derbyshire rapidly changed the world.

@ Cromford
Derby Cathedral is a cathedral church in the city of Derby, England. In 1927 it was promoted from parish church status to a cathedral, creating a seat for the Bishop of Derby, which new see was created in that year. Its bells, cast some 500 years ago, are some of the oldest in the world.

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Lathkill Waterfall
The River Lathkill has many weirs and human works along its length, but only one natural waterfall. Often enough there is no water to fall over it, as the river disappears underground and gurgles its way through mines and tunnels instead of following the river bed.

There’s no way to reach this spot without walking several miles or making a long climb down a steep trail that makes you think what it will take to get back up it; and thus, you are guaranteed a nice peaceful rest at this spot.

Too busy to take notice of you are the white throated dipper, which makes its nest in the face of the waterfall, and numerous yellow wagtails, all of them hungry for insects, of which there are plenty. The waterfall is only four feet high; but it forms a welcome break on the trail by the river’s side.

@ Lathkill Waterfall
Derby’s Silk Mill is thought to have been the first factory in the world – and it was the first silk mill in England. Lombe’s Mill, as it was known, was built next to the River Derwent after John Lombe visited Piedmont in 1717 and returned with details of the Italian silk-throwing machines and craftsmen.

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Limestone Gorge
The River Lathkill runs through a limestone gorge, sometimes towering high on both sides, sometimes widening, lowering or fading away as one travels down its length. There is one rough path over stones worn slippery-smooth by the feet of countless years.

@ Limestone Gorge
Blue John stone is found in Treak Cliff hillside at Castleton. It is the only place in the world it is found. The pretty purple/blue stone is made into jewellery and small ornaments.

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Head of the Ancient River
The River Lathkill emerges from the rocks just a little way from here. The valley was gouged by meltwater from glaciers, not the current river, which now follows the route they once carved … as have countless walkers who love the river.

@ Head of the Ancient River
The Peak District does not have many peaks or mountains. The name comes from the ancient Saxon tribe, the Pecsaetans, that lived in the area.

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Mandale Mine
Lead mining began in the Lathkill Valley no later than 1495. Remains of later workings include an aqueduct and buildings where the ore was processed. But all these exist because of the mines.

Here’s a shot looking out from Mandale Mine with my camera bag in the entrance to give some scale. I wasn’t going any further in!

@ Mandale Mine
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Derbyshire. Its limited overs team is called the Derbyshire Falcons in reference to the famous peregrine falcon which nests on Derby Cathedral.

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Dovedale
Dovedale is one of the best known walks in Derbyshire, though the average tourist gets no further than this. Three miles further the walk ends at Milldale, after passing a rare rock arch and 'Doveholes', a series of natural caves.

Here, the east side has no footpath and blends into the river. I shot from there because I could be well away from other people. There are a few in this shot, but they are small stick figures, insignificant in the towering landscape.

@ Dovedale
The Peak District National Park is famed for the white and grey stones of the White Peak Carboniferous Limestone and the Namurian sandstone known as Millstone Grit. The park’s walls, lead mining scree, roadstone quarry faces and karstexposures are littered with reef fossil corals, bivalves and brachiopods. The area is also famous for Blue John crystal and Black Ashford marble.

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Lush Moorland
Although moors are by definition uncultivated, they are often thick with undergrowth. Ferns and bracken predominate, along with scrub trees. Underneath there is a variety of wildlife, which may include three different kinds of snake. I have found snake casts on this moor, but have never seen a snake there myself.

@ Lush Moorland
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Derbyshire. Its limited overs team is called the Derbyshire Falcons in reference to the famous peregrine falcon which nests on Derby Cathedral.

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Jousting at Bolsover Castle
Bolsover is a mining district, as is most of north-east Derbyshire, a plateau where crops are grown. But the mines came a long time after the castle.

There is a lot to do at Bolsover Castle, but jousting is a rare bonus.

@ Jousting at Bolsover Castle
Blue John stone is found in Treak Cliff hillside at Castleton. It is the only place in the world it is found. The pretty purple/blue stone is made into jewellery and small ornaments.

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Peak Forest
If you look for a forest at Peak Forest, it was felled long ago. Some say the last wolf in England was killed in that forest in the 15th century, at nearby Wormhill. Thus sheep may safely graze; but without huge subsidies, they are uneconomic here.

Northern Light at sunset on the high plateau is an eerie thing. 1100 feet up, light is subtly different. The distance from cloud to ground is small, and night steals up on you.

@ Peak Forest
Oh look ... you won a little pet!

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Where the Fields Have No Name
Much of North Derbyshire is too rugged and barren even for sheep. When people earned a living from the earth, they thought of these places as a wasteland. Those of us who make our living in the town think of them as ruggedly beautiful. The emptier they are, the more we love them. But they’re empty for a reason; dead lands no-one could scratch a living from in times gone by. Majestic in their emptiness, but a shapeless brown desert for those who lose their way.

@ Where the Fields Have No Name
The Plimsoll Line was invented by Samuel Plimsoll (1824 – 1898), who was elected as the Liberal MP for Derby in 1867 and 1880. The line is found on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe loading for vessels.

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The Paths Which Time Forgot
In the heart of the Derbyshire hills lie trails once made for light railways, carrying stone to build dams. Had the reservoirs not been built, the only roads would be sheep tracks. There are not even villages here, just a very few scattered farm houses miles apart. These are some of the longest dead-end roads you can find in Britain … and some of the loveliest, especially in autumn.

@ The Paths Which Time Forgot
Lara Croft, the fictional beautiful, intelligent English archaeologist and adventurer (1996-present) was the creation of Derby game company Core Design. She has been the heroine of several video game sequels, short films and Hollywood blockbusters and is now owned by Square Enix, previously Eidos Interactive.

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Silent Woods
Once there were settlements such as ‘Tin Town’ in these woods, where workmen lived a few years whilst the dams were built, only to move on when the job was done.

Some people, like me, are driven to explore dead ends and find life in them. Everyone else stops at the picnic area, then turns round and goes back to the aimless roads connecting yesterday to long ago. But some of the best sights in the Peak District are down dead ends.

@ Silent Woods
Derbyshire's railway heritage is impeccable. In 1840, the North Midland Railway set up its works in Derby. When it merged with the Midland Counties Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway to form the Midland Railway, Derby became its headquarters. Derby is a proud city of rail engineers and train makers.

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The Princess Bride
I first saw “The Princess Bride” with Lisa in 2013. The more I watched it, the more I felt I was looking at familiar places, though I was now an ocean away. It was in a scene set here, around Owler Tor, that I realised most of the film had been shot in Derbyshire. If you look hard enough you may recognise other locations from the film in this set of photos!

@ The Princess Bride
The Plimsoll Line was invented by Samuel Plimsoll (1824 – 1898), who was elected as the Liberal MP for Derby in 1867 and 1880. The line is found on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe loading for vessels.

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Winnat's Pass
Winnat's Pass rises 900 feet from bottom to top at one-in-five (20%). It is the only major hill in Debyshire I have never been up on a bicycle. One wobble and you could be under a car. The road is too narrow for a centre line, and if you try walking up it, your heels will not touch the ground.

This ought to be a lonely spot, but it is now the only route west out of Castleton. The main road between Sheffield and Manchester used to run up the face of the 'Shivering Mountain', Mam Tor, a hundred yards away. But Mam Tor has shivered too often. Half a century ago the main road was closed forever, utterly ruined. So incredible as it sounds, this is the most direct route between two major English cities.

@ Winnat's Pass
An industrial boom began in Derby when Rolls-Royce opened a car and aircraft factory in the town in 1907.

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Autumn Hillside
When the summer draws to an end, Derbyshire hillsides are awash with purple heather, and as autumn continues, brown with bracken.

@ Autumn Hillside
A Derbyshire man was the Father of the American Industrial Revolution. Samuel Slater, who was born into a farming family in Belper in 1768 went on to become the Father of the USA’s Industrial Revolution. He received a basic education and, at the age of 10, began work at a cotton mill opened by Jedediah Strutt. Slater was well trained by Strutt and gained a thorough knowledge of the organisation and practice of cotton spinning. Slater was aware of the American interest in developing similar machines – and of British laws against exporting the designs. So he memorised as much as he could and departed for New York in 1789, aged 21. Some Belper people called him “Slater the Traitor” but in America he was welcomed with open arms. He helped to create the first successful water-powered roller spinning textile mill in America and many more were built. His original mill, Slater Mill, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is now a museum dedicated to preserving the history of Samuel Slater and his contribution to American industry.

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River of Mist
Looking at a temperature inversion from above, one can see the fog flowing between the hills as if it were a river. Underneath it lies the real river, the Derwent, which carved the hills through which the misty river flows. Also beneath the misty river is the village of Calver, which has completely disappeared beneath it.

@ River of Mist
Blue John stone is found in Treak Cliff hillside at Castleton. It is the only place in the world it is found. The pretty purple/blue stone is made into jewellery and small ornaments.

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Storm Chaser
Just for once I decided to be a storm chaser. My take on that was to get up where the clouds were and see the storm point blank. The high plateau of North West Derbyshire was the best place to be.

1700 feet up, the storm was finally passing. Light was chasing the gloom away. I wound down the car window, took the picture, lowered the camera and got a faceful of hail.

Later, when I had written 'Aurorielle', I was searching for an image to express the content. The character for which the book was named was an angel who took care of the fertility of the land, bringing sunshine and rain as she was commanded. She stood between the darkness and the light. If one ever caught her flying by on a camera, she would have been on the edge of this storm, ushering it where it was supposed to go, with the light of heaven behind her. In fact I think that is her, shining bright near the top right of the picture ....

@ Storm Chaser
Were holidays invented in Derbyshire? Thomas Cook, from Melbourne, Derbyshire, created the forerunner of modern package holidays when he devised the first paid excursion in 1841, an 11-mile train journey from Leicester to Loughborough via the Midland Railway. It was such a success that Cook began to pioneer his concept through rail excursions and, today, the Thomas Cook brand still honours his name.

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Northern Half-light
I do not retouch colours in landscapes, ever. These were the real colours at sunset high in the hills early in March 2011. Deliberately underexposing the shot deepens the colours and encourages detail to morph into areas of solid colour. That's using the camera to show what my mind's eye perceived, rather than what my eyes saw; the difference between what my friend Sarah calls 'art photography' and taking out your iPhone. Art is a matter of taste. This is how I remember the Northern Light, but not exactly how it appeared.

@ Northern Half-light
In 1806 an exceptional seam of fine clay was discovered in Denby. By 1809 a pottery had been established on the site. Denby Pottery, a family business, is still going strong today. Generations of craftspeople have been making pottery here since 1809. Many traditional hand-crafting techniques have been preserved and are still used in the Denby factory today. Denby's beautiful tableware is widely renowned. Denby Pottery Village is based in Derby Road, Denby, Derbyshire.

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Ladybower by Night
I started at Ladybower and I will finish there, too. That lens flare was caused by the moon. You can see the lower half of Orion in the top left of the picture. There are few lights out here; the tourist cottage on the hill opposite shines like a beacon. So here, the moon seems very bright.

I stood and watched as a river of clouds poured down the Ashop Valley from the top of Kinder Scout, 2000 feet up. Soon the last of the Northern Light was extinguished by the clouds which so often suffocate it.

@ Ladybower by Night
Aislin has now completed her viewing of Northern Light: Derbyshire. As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!

Aislin has enjoyed her photographic tour of Northern Light: Derbyshire, but it is time to go home now! "Northern Light" is over now, but there will be more events in PnF soon!