I wonder how old these trees are at the ruined Roman fort of Houseteads on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland? Here I am treading in the footsteps of the Romans who manned this northern windswept outpost, of their empire. Spanning 80 miles across northern England, building began c.AD122 and took six years to complete. For almost three centuries Hadrian's Wall was an important defensive frontier between England and Scotland, with Housteads one of 15 forts built along the wall. The Wall is now a World Heritage Site.
Moving onto the early 20th century - two vintage photograph of my village of Earlston show the old village pump well which was demolished in 1920 to make room for the War Memorial.
A leap of 50 years to more recent family photographs: across the seasons.
SPRING
1974 - with my daughter, beside the River Teviot in Hawick
with the trees of Wilton Lodge Park in the background.
with the trees of Wilton Lodge Park in the background.
Easter 1975 - daughter a year older, with my parents on a sunny day in our local park.
I am still sporting a miniskired dress.
looking east across to the Lammermuir Hills
SUMMER
The War Memorial in Earlston Square - a reminder of our ancestors lost in conflict.
My brother at Ironbridge over the wooded Severn Valley in Shropshire
Our father spent his childhood in the area.
The cast iron bridge, the first of its kind was built in 1779 and the gorge became known as the "Cradle of the Industrial Revolution". Now a World Heritage Site.
No family connections here, but another lovely scene in the Scottish Borders at Yetholm which marks the end of the first long distance path in Britain. - the Penine Way. Here looking towards the Cheviot Hills across the English/Scottish border.
AUTUMN
2010 - little granddaughter enjoying a walk through the woods at Earlston.
Two autumn scenes in Cowdenknowes Wood, Earlston
On a woodland walk, with the carpet of leaves
and the Leader Water a streak of blue below.
and the Leader Water a streak of blue below.
WINTER
1990's - Daughter on the hill above our homer in Hawick.
2012 - Little granddaughter trudging home in the snow,
with the trees on the appropriately named White Hill ahead.
2012 - my husband lending a touch of colour to the winter woodland scene
And to finish with two more photographs of trees and rustic fencing.
Autumn in Earlston - round the corner from our home.
On Mill Meadow walk in Earlston
We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country
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Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share
their family history and memories through photographs.
their family history and memories through photographs.
Click HERE to see how trees this week have inspired other bloggers
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Your tree photos are very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAll perfectly lovely photos and in tune with the prompt - especially when the trees are coupled with rustic fences. Nice job. My favorite is the first photo. There's just something about it that really catches the eye. Love the snowy winter scene with hubby in red. Leafless tree limbs outlined in snow have a particular beauty.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful local tree photo selection. My favourite is the one in April where those fluffy clouds almost look like blossom on the tall roadside tree. What would we do without them?
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the seasons through your family/tree portraits...it's a well condensed year! And the border country certainly looks like it's survived well through a lot of conflicts!
ReplyDeleteA positive arboretum Sue! Housesteads has always fascinated me; I used to have a book full of wonderful drawings of how Roman life would have been there, by Roland Embleton I think. I am also reminded of 'Roman Wall Blues’ by W.H.Auden.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for taking the time to comment. I enjoy taking photographs of trees, whatever the season - there is a beauty even in winter with the shapes of the bare branches, so I had quite a lot of images to choose from.
ReplyDeleteYou have some really lovely photos here!
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on the first photo are much like mine when I drift into wondering about the people who had walked there or wherever before me.
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