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Evening Skyscapes

Skyscape on the Begwyns, June 2020

My usual walk is on the Begwyns, a common five minutes drive from the house. Although in a rural area, I am on South facing land, so very intensely farmed over the years, resulting in a less interesting landscape - so no great walks from the door of the house. If you live on a North facing slope, the land will tend to be a little woolier and entangled with thickets, unintensively farmed land and interesting footpaths.

Skyscape on the Begwyns, June 2020

Although I have been to the Begwyns quite literally hundreds of times, the National Trust owned property can still throw up a few new pictorial opportunities, so I always carry a camera. This evening I was slightly hobbled by having only a 35mm camera and a standard lens, but I always carry an orange filter in case of happening skies, and that's what I go this evening.

Skyscape on the Begwyns, June 2020

To say it's 'common' land is actually a misnomer. The National Trust may own it, but there are limited rights they can entertain - the running and upkeep of the land is run by the Commoners, farmers whose land adjoins the common, and who have grazing rights thereon. You can walk on common land, but its incumbent upon non-commoner land users to respect the shared agricultural space. My folks once had a smallholding with a 100yd border to the Black Mountains. The deeds gave them rights to graze two sheep, and a gate.

Skyscape on the Begwyns, June 2020

Because of the privately-owned mixed farming that surrounds the common, it's not just sheep, either. There are ponies up there, and often cows. It's also technically upland moor, so there is a fair abundance of bird life: Peewits, curlews, nightingales. The grazing is so-so, I'm told, the encroachment of bracken and gorse a cause for concern. In the forty years I've been coming to the Begwyns, silver birch has started to spout and now small thickets have established. It also has a very good view of the Black Mountains three miles away, and the Brecon Beacons about ten - and as you can see, an unimpeded view of the sky. Nikon F3, Ilford Pan-F, orange filter.

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