Cornwall Life – October 2019

Cornwall Life: August 2019Š 27

photography. All that white sand

tends to make cameras under-

expose the image making the

sky appear an even darker blue

than it actually is. The sea is

beautifully clear so it is always

worth wading in a short distance

and taking photos of the water.

The ripples on the water refract

the sunlight creating patterns of

light which dance around on the

seabed.

Just north of the garden is the

Great Pool which almost splits

‘The world-

famous Abbey

Gardens was

built in the19th

century around

the remains of

a Benedictine

Abbey’

the island in two. The best views

of this pool are from either end

and there are bird watching hides

which give a slightly closer view

of the bird life on the lake.

North of the Great Pool on

the west side of the island is the

pretty beach and harbour of New

Grimsby with its view over to

Bryher. Here we have a gallery

and a selection of old characterful

houses overlooking the harbour

as well as the newer time-share

properties gathered around the

island’s shop. The boats in the

harbour and pretty stone cottages

make for some good photography.

North of the Great Pool in

the centre of the island the land

is dominated by farmland but

not far up the east side there is

The Blockhouse, built between

1548 and 1552 this building

was a raised gun platform with

accommodation to defend against

possible invasion by the Spanish

and French. The Blockhouse can

be photogenic though I prefer the

view north from the Blockhouse

looking around Old Grimsby

Harbour to the Island Hotel.

The northern end of the island

is dominated by heathland and

rocky coast with small cliffs and

offshore rocks and islands. In the

far north western corner are the

remains of Cromwell’s Castle and

King Charles’ Castle. The latter

was built at the same time and

had the same purpose as The

Blockhouse. When Cromwell’s

Castle was constructed in

the 1650s it superseded its

predecessor and is the more

impressive feature today. It is

still possible to climb its tower

and, more importantly for the

photographer it is a great focal

point in a wider landscape of

Tresco and Bryher.

It was Cromwell’s Castle that

provided the primary motivation

for my full day trip. I calculated

that on a late summer’s evening

the heather might be in flower

and if I was lucky enough to get

some sunshine just before sunset

the angle of light should make it

possible to get a nice photo looking

south east down the channel

between Tresco and Bryher

with Cromwell’s Castle in the

foreground lit by the setting sun.

In the event my calculations

were correct though the sky and

heather could have been better.

Sunset over, it was now 8pm and

I had three hours to kill before my

ferry back from the south end of

the island. I had brought a torch

to find my way back and planned

to try some star photos along

the way. I headed back to The

Blockhouse to try my hand at star

trail photography while lighting

The Blockhouse with my torch,

then headed back down the east

side of the island to catch the boat

back to St Mary’s.

The island seems much bigger

in the dark! I was almost glad

when I heard the slightly drunken

antics of people waiting for the

boat at Carn Near Quay, and

I was definitely glad when I

was back having a cup of tea in

our cottage on St Mary’s. The

things we photographers do for a

photograph! 

CAPTURING CORNWALL

TOP: The Great
Pool, Tresco
LEFT: A rainbow
over Porth Hellick,
from Giant’s
Castle, St Mary’s
RIGHT: There is
always something
colourful to
photograph in
Tresco Abbey
Garden