bankes robbery

...another grey day but it was dry and we were determined to make the most of it by testing a new circular walk from Kingston via Corfe Common. It was a walk that turned out to be a disaster and will not be repeated! Blocked rights of way and missing way markers were disappointing enough, but a farmyard that was flooded in oozing slurry, that came over the tops of our boots with no way of avoiding it, was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The area between Kingston and Langton affords some of the best views of Corfe Castle and highlight the strategic position it occupies within the only gap along the Purbeck Ridge. It looks best when lit by sunbeams under an interesting sky, which was not a luxury we were treated to today. In order to improve the greyness of the scene, I used a graduated neutral density filter for the sky and a graduated warmup filter for the foreground. I must check and clean my lens as I have noticed a few water marks in this image.

Corfe Castle was a royal castle from when it was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century until Elizabeth I sold it to Sir Christopher Hatton in 1572. Sir John Bankes purchased it in 1635. Bankes was a royalist and close aide of Charles I. It was while he was away fighting by Charles' side that Cromwell's forces, with the aid of a traitor inside the castle, finally broke Lady Mary Bankes brave stand and demolished the castle in 1645.

A huge thank you with all my heart for your kind comments, stars, hearts and congratulations on my 200th blip yesterday. My appreciation is beyond words...