County Durham’s unique landscape of denes are steep-sided, wooded limestone ravines and glacial valleys that cut through the landscape down to the North Sea along the coast. The names Nesbitt, Hesleden, Crimdon, Hawthorn and Fox Hole Denes are familiar to locals, but perhaps only Castle Eden Dene is more widely known, bringing visitors from further afield.
In the deepest parts of these Denes, and more extensively in the depths of Castle Eden, I experience the feeling of being in a lost world. Sheltered from the wind and sun they a naturally dark, damp, and atmospheric year-round. This dampness makes for exceptional biodiversity, which elevates that lost world feeling. Sound also travels good distances, and despite being a hearing aid wearer my antenna seem more attuned down there.
On my last visit on 7th October, I was met with the customary challenges of woodland photography; trying to find a frame in the natural chaos. High contrast between deep shade and bright skies, the visual riot of biology and the lack of focal points to rest the eye all work together to confound the photographer.
Order from chaos?
Fortunately, by practicing expressionist photography such concerns can be sidestepped like a fallen branch blocking the path. Using layering and blending techniques the chaos can be embraced and somewhat counterintuitively adding chaos upon chaos can sometimes create a fairly orderly composition. There’s an awful lot of trial and error, as I am not looking to lose all the sense of disorder. I have peppered this entry with some of the experiments from the latest trip.
Autumn is here, so this is the very best time of the year for exploring the denes. I will be there again very soon.
Having been lucky enough to whittle away much of my childhood in Castle Eden Dene and beyond, it is the ethereal nature of the place which draws you in as you seek to discover that “lost world” between an Edwardian Viaduct and an Edward(Heath)ian dual carriageway underpass that bookend it. Needless to say these photos capture perfectly the essence of the cathedral of Denes to reference the title.
Hi Rob,
Thank you for your kind words. I am pleased you picked up on the cathedral reference in the title. It’s also a nod to the former colliery at Ferryhill, a lost world of a different kind that’s part of our heritage.
By referencing the viaduct you have given me another place for visual exploration. Nice one. There’s certainly no flies on you, except perhaps during an energetic stroll in the dene on a warm day!