Christmas time, holidays, Covid still rampant but not lockdown, time for another photography road trip . Not too far away this time, chose Salisbury in Wiltshire as my base and would concentrate on Cranbourne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs. What follows is a compilation of locations visited around Salisbury and landscape photographs taken.
Why Salisbury
This photography vacation was influenced by my last road trip to Somerset where I passed through Wiltshire and stopped off at the iconic Stonehenge. Salisbury is not too far away, is interesting in of itself with the cathedral and medieval city center. Salisbury is close to the West Wiltshire Downs and Cranbourne Chase AONB. Three days was going to be enough this time….
Old Sarum
As winter and December with the short days, the plan was to arrive in Salisbury early afternoon, park up at the hotel and then hike to Old Sarum, hopefully catch a sunset. But underestimated the holiday traffic on the M25 and arrived almost 90 minutes late.
Another problem is that for the past couple of weeks we have had predominately dull grey, wet stormy overcast weather – no light basically. The hike to Old Sarum from Salisbury city center was a wash out. Not get out my camera. Lucky I had my waterproofs on. So nothing to show from my first trip except some mobile phone snaps.
Salisbury Cathedral Dawn
It was going to be a wet dull overcast morning in Salisbury. With the cathedral only a 2 minute walk from the hotel decided to scout it out around dawn before breakfast. Had taken my compact camera with me on this trip, the intention more to shoot some video with it. But it makes an ideal lightweight scouting camera with a pocket tripod.
There was a few breaks in the clouds and rain and the crescent moon made an appearance which really adds to the composition. Not realise at the time had a big raindrop on the lens. When wet weather always check the lens and carry a microfibre cloth or two! The canon G7 X II takes remarkedly good photos at F/5.6. Salisbury cathedral is a magnificent building, imagine shooting that in morning mist and sunrise light hitting that spire…
Fovant Down
After midday the rain would clear and hopefully would get some breaks in the clouds and good light. Its important to study the weather apps to best predict the light. The plan for the afternoon was to hike across Fovant Down and the Fovant Badges on Cranbourne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs.
As I ascended the Fovant downs the clouds broke up, sunlight appeared and blue patches of sky. Time to get the big camera out. I like this type of afternoon light in winter. It was very windy though so not using the tripod, just handholding, not a problem with a fast enough shutter speed and steady hand.
Chiselbury Ring
Futher along from Fovant you come to Chiselbury ring before you make your descent. The views from Chiselbury Ring are good especially eastwards. If you like hillforts Wiltshire has more than its fair share.
Got some shots with the sunlight hitting the distance tree, but this more wide angle shot was the most dramatic, shows the expanse and remoteness of the west Wiltshire downs.
Back down on the road got another good composition using the 70-200mm lens looking back up to Hydon Hill and Compton Down.
Old Wardour Castle
The next day in Salisbury the weather was much the same. The plan was similar, to visit the downs around Win Green, the highest point on Cranbourne Chase. The clouds should break up in the afternoon around 1pm so on the way decided to visit Old Wardour castle.
Unfortunately the castle was closed so stuck my compact camera through a gap in the gate to get the above composition. One for the record.
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Arrived at Win Green on Cranbourne Chase. Despite some good views the weather was appalling. So decided to visit nearby Shaftesbury in Dorset for a coffee and wait for the weather to change hopefully.
Shaftesbury has its own iconic view that is very popular with tourists and photographers that of the cottages and cobbled street of Gold Hill. Would like to revisit Gold Hill, sunrise could be good. As I left Shaftesbury to return to Win Green the sun started to break through and those wet roofs of the cottages would have caught the light coming in from the right of the frame.
Win Green, Cranbourne Chase
Returned to Win Green and had a good scout of the location. There is a main footpath that runs all the way to Tollard Royal. Unfortunately the path is also used by 4x4s and buggies, there are many deep puddles and walking can become precarious. From Win Green there is a good walk along a ridge and some good views. But good views not always translate to good landscape photography. The light was patchy and not falling on the right places. With this type of weather, was hoping for some rainbows, but not happen.
On the hike back to the carpark got a shot with the sun setting to the left with the golden light spilling into the frame. That is Melbury Hill in the distance that have visited a few years ago when staying in Dorset. Not realise at the time it was on Cranbourne Chase.
Hung around on Win Green well into blue hour hoping to catch some spectacular colour in the sky but not really happen. Still very windy so not using the tripod. Using ISO 400 and F4 to get a suitable shutter speed. With less wind and a tripod perhaps a more creative long exposure may have worked, streaking and blurring those purple clouds across the sky.
Fissbury Ring, Salisbury
Three nights in Salisbury especially with the patchy weather was enough exploring the landscape not far away. On the drive home stopped off at Fissbury Ring just outside Salisbury.
Fissbury Ring is another one of Wiltshire’s many hillforts and rings. In the distance you could see the spire of Salisbury cathedral. But the obvious focal point was a lone tree inside the ring. The weather was not changing, another overcast dull day. Lone trees work well in winter where you get to see them naked 😉 Again was using the compact camera, walked the full ring and just kept shooting possible compositions.
Danebury Hillfort, Hampshire
One more location worth checking out on the drive home was another hillfort. Danebury Hillfort just across the border in Hampshire. Hillforts often command good views, if not too overgrown with vegetation.
Again I walk the complete ring with my compact camera scouting out possible compositions. Danebury Hillfort has a lot of visitors even on dull December days. Its not part of any national park or AONB, just a few low hills in very flat Hampshire countryside. A better composition would be from the flats of the hillfort maybe during sunset or sunrise.
Salisbury Post Processing
Always enjoy these road trips away and Salisbury and Cranbourne chase was no different. Salisbury city center is very pleasant, highly recommend a visit if you like things more quiet and less busy.
For the most part though the weather conditions were sub optimal with a few breaks in the afternoon. Reminded me a lot of that washout road trip to Devon and Cornwall a few years back.
In fact in the future I will book a hotel last moment rather than a few weeks in advance. The weather is just too unpredictable in England. With Covid still rampant things can change last moment. I do enjoy relaxing in the night with a good meal and a few drinks, so need things to stay open.
Going to a new location for a few days will always expand your horizons and comfort zone. With a single visit the chances of coming home with any great landscape photos is small unless you get lucky. I shall return to Wiltshire but the north side next time staying at Marlborough and exploring the Wessex Downs.