Ladybower Reservoir (40)

This picture of Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire is another taken from my Mum’s trusty book of Peak District photographs. It was taken at a time when the fields and trees surrounding it were ablaze with rich colour and the water looked deep blue.

Ladybower Reservoir was completed shortly after the end of World War II to supply drinking water to the north of England and the Midlands. The idyllic landscape surrounding the reservoir belies its history. To build the reservoir ancient villages had to be submerged, including the seventeenth century Derwent Hall, farms and the parish church. For a while, the spire of the church was visible when the water levels dropped, but eventually it was demolished.

Although I don’t intentionally set out to do abstract paintings, at times my art turns out less than realistic!

Riber Castle (15)

This painting is from a photo I took of Riber Castle. The impressive looking ruin stands on top of a hill near Matlock in Derbyshire.

The building was never a real castle - it was built in the 19th century by local industrialist John Smedley as his country house. After the death of Smedley and his wife it was used as a boys’ school, during WWII it was a storage facility, and in the 1960s it became a wildlife park. I remember going to Riber Zoo as a kid. The zoo eventually closed in 2000 and has been empty since. There are plans afoot to turn it into apartments.

The view of Riber from the Matlock road is very impressive - the black ruins dominate the skyline and the fields are spread out below it like a green patchwork quilt.

The Crooked Spire, Chesterfield (14)

This painting is from a photo I took of the fourteenth century St Mary’s and All Saints church in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The church is commonly known as the Crooked Spire because the spire is twisted (45 degrees) and leaning (2.90m) from its true centre.

The twist is considered an original design of the spire, but the lean is believed to be due to the absence of skilled craftsmen because of the Black Death, insufficient cross-bracing, and the use of unseasoned timber.

Of course, people have come up with alternative explanations for how the spire came to be crooked. One story tells how when a virgin got married in the church the spire was so shocked that it bent down to get a closer look. Legend has it that should this ever happen again the spire will straighten up! Another story is that a Bolsover blacksmith mis-shod the Devil who leaped over the spire in pain, knocking it out of shape.

For any trivia lovers, there are 72 twisted spires in Europe (though only one in the UK), and the Crooked Spire has the greatest lean and twist of them all.

I have taken many photos of this church over the years because it is such a photogenic subject and stands out for miles around. I found the spire’s twist and lean difficult to paint, though it wasn’t very pronounced from the angle I took the photo. If you ever visit this church my cards of this painting are for sale in the church shop.

Kilchurn Castle, Scotland (13)

This painting is of a scene taken from a biscuit tin at my Mum’s house of Kilchurn Castle. This now ruined castle, which was built in 1440, lies beside Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute in Scotland.

I loved the colours of the Scottish hills in the background and how the castle is reflected in the loch. Although this is one of my earlier paintings, and my style was rather unsophisticated at this stage, I think I managed to capture the essence of the place.