Great Britain Photo Trip

[Cheese]

Hello together,

I plan a trip through Great Britain with my camara (and my bike). Time: April/May.

Can anybody of you English, Scottish and Welsh people give me some hints for (photo)-locations which I may not miss. And also - if exist - for areas where it is not recommended to go alone with camara and bike?

My first station will be Cambridge :-).

Thanks in advance, Rainer

[Donald]

Rainer

Do you have any photographic preferences? For example, urban scenes, street photography, mountainous landscapes, seascapes, etc? If you can give us some guidance, I'm sure people on here will provide many suggestions.

[LocalHero1953]

As a Cambridge resident, I can recommend it as suitably photogenic!
- architecture: King's College Chapel and the buildings around it, but many other old colleges and fine buildings. In April and maybe May many may be closed because of exams.
- the river: punting on the River Cam along the Backs; look for tourists falling in when their poles get stuck in the mud or under a bridge. Also the Bumps downriver, the spectacular inter-college rowing races where the aim is to hit the boat in front before you are hit from behind (I still have a damaged finger joint from my last involvement). The May Bumps are, confusingly, held in Mid June, so you would miss them if you come when planned.
- cycling and cyclists: it's the cycling capital of the UK. The Tour de France stage 3 will start in Cambridge on, I think, 7th July, a bit late for you.
- trip to Ely: small town, massive and ancient cathedral.
- trip to Newmarket and the races: where the horse racing tradition started in the 17th century. The small town lives for horses.
- trip the the Fens, the bleak, flat area north of Ely. Atmospheric, for those who respond to it, but tricky to capture in an image. Denver Sluice is a good anchor point, or the Welney Wildfowl Reserve.
Feel free to ask any other questions - I'm away for much of that period, but can offer advice.

[dabhand]

Rainer,

I can thoroughly recommend North Yorkshire - there are plenty of ruined monasteries and several cathedrals in good shape; a very varied coastline with sandy beaches, big rocky cliffs and exposed headlands; the North York Moors and its steam railway and of course loads of terrific scenery.

Happy to go into more detail if required.

Biased because I live there - no not me ;-)

steve

[Cheese]

Thanks, Donald for reply.

Approximately 70-80% of my trip I want to stay on the country side, the rest in towns. This may indicate the relation of landscape and urban photography I use to take. The weather may change everything ;-), but this is a good approach.

The route planned at the moment (but subject to change by your recommendations) is: Cambridge, York, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Edinburgh, Inverness, John o'Groats, Outer Hebrids, Isle of Man, Liverpool, Wales, Bath, Exmore, Land's End, Dartmore, Kent. Not London - have been there 5 Month ago.

What I want to know is: Where to go / not to go to the coast. Places, towns not to miss. Great landscapes. Barneby villages ;-)

I do not take a real tele with me - so animals will probably not be a theme.

Thanks, Rainer.

If of any interest: m43 - OMD-M5, 12-40/2.8, 75/1.8, 25/1.4.

[Cheese]

Thanks, Paul, think I'll stay in Cambridge one day longer... :-)

[Cheese]

Thanks Steve, North York Moors are on my short list. Coast is better north or south of Whitby?

[rpcrowe]

Your trip sounds like a wonderful excursion. I hope you have a wonderful and photographically productive time. While riding; remember the side of the road from which the traffic is coming...

This caused problems for me in Japan where they drive on the same side of the road as in the U.K. It also caused problems for Winston Churchill who, long before WWII, was hit by a vehicle in the USA. He was looking in the wrong direction for oncoming traffic as he crossed a street...

[dabhand]

Thanks Steve, North York Moors are on my short list. Coast is better north or south of Whitby?

Between Whitby and Scarborough offers just about the wides range and most of it is quite easily accessible - Whitby has the ruined Abbey, supposedly where Bram Stoker found insipiration for Dracula, Saltwick Bay has a couple of rock stacks which are best shot low tide; Robin Hoods Bay - very picturesque ex fishing village with loads of opportunities, Cloughton Wyke loads of cliffs, rocks and low tide rock pools; Scarborough - sandy beaches, ruined castle, small working harbour.

The coast to the North is mainly the remains of industrial activity though they can be interesting in themselves.

[davidedric]

On your way between Cambridge and York you might want to take a diversion into the lovely Peak District. It is our oldest National Park and said to be the second most visited in world after Mount Fuji.

Dave

[Black Pearl]

Take a look at:

The National Trust - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk
English Heritage - http://m.english-heritage.org.uk

Might even be worth joining if you plan on visiting a few properties.

[Donald]

The route planned at the moment (but subject to change by your recommendations) is: Cambridge, York, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, Edinburgh, Inverness, John o'Groats, Outer Hebrids, Isle of Man, Liverpool, Wales, Bath, Exmore, Land's End, Dartmore, Kent. Not London - have been there 5 Month ago.

For the Scottish part of your planned journey and much as it will offend my friends north of Inverness - Although there is very dramatic scenery up there, I do wonder if spending time getting from Inverness to John o' Groats would really be worth it.

If you were, instead, to go north and west from Inverness to places like Ullapool and Lochinver, you will find the most dramatic mountain scenery anywhere in the UK. I think it is truly awe-inspiring.

If you have the time to do it, going across to the island of Lewis from Ullapool by ferry, then cycling down through the Outer Hebrides to then get a ferry back to Oban on the mainland from Lochboisdale on South Uist would, I can confidently guarantee, be a journey you would remember for the rest of your life.

[dabhand]

............ While riding; remember the side of the road from which the traffic is coming...

This caused problems for me in Japan where they drive on the same side of the road as in the U.K. It also caused problems for Winston Churchill who........ was looking in the wrong direction for oncoming traffic as he crossed a street...

Imagine what it was like in Sweden where they had left-hand traffic from the 1700s but changed to right hand traffic in 1967 !!

[Polar01]

Rainer: very interesting post as to places to go, I can not help you at all as I live over here in Canada. Here if one were to say that they were taking a bike trip than it is usually meant by way of motorcycle as opposed to bicycle. Just wondering is yours' motor or petal, as that would impact on where to go in your time frame.

Cheers: Allan

[rpcrowe]

I have read somewhere that it is actually safer to drive on the right side of the road that on the left. The study indicated that the average right hand prominent person will automatically throw up the left hand as a defense against something coming towards that person. This apparently is a reflex action and it doesn't matter if the left hand could actually ward off any danger.

So when reacting to an expected crash by throwing up the left hand, the driver will unconsciously steer off the side of the road by raising the left hand rather than into the oncoming stream of traffic.

I am not sure that this is right but, it is possible.

There are other stories that driving on the left was started because when on horseback, you could defend yourself with a sword (again - most people are right hand prominent) against a person riding towards you. This would make sense except that I am sure that countries such as France also used swords as a defense in the early days...

The most difficult driving I have experienced was in Japan, in a U.S. made vehicle with the steering on the left. Passing another vehicle in left hand traffic while driving a vehicle designed for right hand driving is scary and darn dangerous.

[Tringa]

Rainer, this sounds like a great trip. Can I ask how long are you planning to be in the UK?

A couple of very biased suggestions

Durham.
The cathedral is possibly the best example of Norman architecture in the UK and has a superb location.

NW Scotland
This has already been mentioned by Donald. There is nothing wrong with the east coast of Scotland, north of Inverness. My camping trip from Inverness to John O Groats and along the north coast some years ago was excellent, but it would be a pity to miss out the NW coast. Google for Torridon, Loch Maree, Applecross and see what you think.

As already mentioned the Ullapool and Lochinver areas are also spectacular, the character of the mountains is so different.

Dave

[LocalHero1953]

I agree with those that advise NW rather than NE Scottish Highlands. My favourite part of the whole of the UK.

Ref driving on the left or right........ I was told that driving on the left became the norm in Britain because coachmen used the whip in the right hand to keep horses to the left when meeting an oncoming coach. I was also told that it was Napoleon who decided the rest of Europe should drive on the right because it was the opposite to Britain. So I was told. How America decided to drive on the right, I've no idea - maybe the same reason!

[Cheese]

Thanks Guys,

for your tipps! It's the left hand side I have to ride on the streets, right? ;-).

Steve, thanks for detailed infos, Dave and Robin, thanks for your hints.

Dave, Now I have Durham on my plan. I hope to ride from Dover clockwise direction to Harwitch within 7 weeks.

Donald, special thanks to you. Amazingly (right English term?) I planned NW of Scotland from my Great Britain map exactly in the way you described - with Ullapool, the Ferries and the Outer Hebrides. Good to know that's the right decision! But this is a roundtrip and I have to come back to Harwitch (sorry - changed direction). May be I skip Inverness for Orkney and take the Ferry to Aberdeen? Heard, there's a Whisky-Festival begin of May...

Rainer.

PS: Hope my photographic skills increase enough during the trip to get a good rating in a competition ;-).

[ST1]

Rainer, have a search for "lazy photographers guides" written by a guy called Chris Maddock. His guides cover most of the UK and include useful information including "National Grid Reference" numbers for use with maps (real & digital) where to park etc.
BTW I have no association with the author of these guides. IHTH

[Tringa]

When you said, "bike", Rainer did you mean cycle or motorbike?

Dave