Outdoor Photography: Island Journal Pt 16

In Outdoor Photography magazine, Issue 145, November 2011, T covers our summer visit to Lindisfarne.

Islands in the Thames Pt 2 - Teddington Island...

The north tip of Teddington Island, from Teddington

The south tip of Teddington Island, from Teddington

Teddington Island steps

Teddington Island bike ramp

Teddington Island Lock is an impressive feat of engineering. It's composed of three locks and a long, curved weir. The whole complex cascades from one side of the Thames to the other. A wooded, centre island links the lock to the weir as well as supporting the busy Teddington Lock footbridge. An elaborate stilted ramp allows the passage of cyclists. A short track below runs the length of the island to locked gates at either end. Anglers cast from the shore.

Teddington Lock Island

Teddington Lock Island

Teddington Lock Island flower beds

 Teddington Lock Island park

Teddington Lock Island lock keeper's cottage

Teddington Lock Island is a beautifully manicured park, replete with flowered borders, benches and public toilets. The attractive lock keepers cottage is the cherry on the cake.

Trowlock Island

Trowlock Island from the Thames Path

Trowlock Island

Trowlock Island chain ferry in action

Trowlock Island chain ferry

Trowlock Island chain ferry winch

From the Thames Path it's hard to see that you're walking past Trowlock Island – it looks like a continuation of the far bank. Looping round at Kingston and passing a series of private roads with "No access to the river" eventually brings you to Teddington Sports Hall and a footpath to the sailing club. From here you can observe, if you wait long enough for a resident, the eccentric little chain ferry in action, operated by a cartoon winch. A large sign on the island shore explains just how PRIVATE the island is for its 29 homes and Royal Canoe Club (the world's oldest canoe club).

An undercover report...

Steven's Eyot

Steven's Eyot

The Small Boat Club hut on Steven's Eyot

A tiny island located north of Kingston that is devoted to the pleasure of river cruising. Owned by the Small Boat Club (SBC), moorings are restricted to members only. For a nice overhead shot take a look here.

Whale Island, Hampshire

This way to Whale Island

Welcome to Whale Island

The history of Whale Island in five easy steps

Grade II listed drill hall, Queen Charlotte figurehead

HMS Excellent museum

Coffee and biscuits in the HMS Excellent mess

Whale Island next to the ferry terminal

Aerial view of Whale Island in 1935

Aerial view of Whale Island in 1995

Langstone Harbour Islands

Farlington Marshes

Looking across to Baker's Island and South Binness Island

North Binness Island from the Solent Way

Outdoor Photography: Island Journal Pt 15

In Outdoor Photography magazine, Issue 143, September 2011, T remembers Islay.

Islands in the Thames - part 1

Staying one night in London gave us the opportunity to visit a few islands in the Thames. After catching the train to Twickenham we strolled down to the water's edge and crossed the bridge to Eel Pie Island, probably the most famous of all the islands in the Thames. There's not a lot to enjoy for the visitor anymore, just a short public path to a boat yard. From its hedonistic heyday in the 60s, the island is little more than a gated community now.

Eel Pie Island footbridge

Eel Pie Island buildings

Eel Pie Island privacy

Eel Pie Island from the Thames Path

We followed the Thames Path in an easterly direction... Glover's Island is an eruption of trees from the water.

Glover's Island

Corporation Island, dripping with willows, is within a stone's throw of Richmond Bridge.

Corporation Island, Richmond

Undeniably large, but seemingly rather dull, Isleworth Ait has something unexpected to offer. Owned by the London Wildlife Trust, it is home to the two-lipped door snail and German hairy snail as well as kingfishers and herons. We would never have known as we wandered by.

Isleworth Ait

 Walking past Kew Gardens, looking across the Thames to Brentford, our view is obscured by the long, split island of Brentford Ait and it's smaller cousin, Lot's Ait.

Lot's Ait

The channel splitting Brentford Ait is known as Hog Hole

Brentford Ait

Kew Bridge signalled the end of our amble. We could see Oliver's Island clearly from the bridge, shaped like a single fantastic tree.

Oliver's Island, Kew

A quick stop at Castelnau offered up Chiswick Eyot, substantially leafier than my maps suggested.

Chiswick Eyot

Scottish Islands feature in Britain magazine

A really good selection of T's Scottish island photos are featured in this month's Britain magazine. The pictures accompany her general survey of the isles.

Close Up & Macro Photography book out now

T's latest book has just been published. As well as being a technique guide, it is crammed full of her beautiful close up shots.

Close-Up & Macro Photography (Expanded Guide: Techniques) at Amazon.co.uk 
Close-Up & Macro Photography (Expanded Guide: Techniques) at Amazon.com

Medway - day 3 - Deadmans Island

Landing point on Deadmans Island

Exposed grave on Deadmans Island

Cockle shell banks

Flowering sea lavender on Deadmans Island

Safe return to Sheppey

Wake at 6:30 to find Dave already packing up camp — I feel happily unwashed and grubby — before we know it, we're pushing the canoe off of Darnet for the last time — another punishing headwind awaits — hug the edge of Nor Marsh — dock, and promptly settle on a bench for breakfast — a chipper Kent bloke barks a few friendly words at us, impressively using the term 'ritzy' — canoe on car, we're off to the Isle of Sheppey — with comments of 'good luck' and 'mind the curse' from local fishermen we paddle off from Queenborough slipway to Deadmans Island — dodge through the yachts on a fast moving tide — hoist the canoe onto a cockleshell bank, dragging it over a human bone or two — check out the uncovered graves — no one fancies eating the samphire here — walk over the sea purslane to a stake-lined channel separating us from Chetney Marshes — dismal impression in the rain — with the tide out, it's a two-man bobsleigh charge across lots and lots of mud — back in the canoe, we edge our way back to the slipway — the yacht club public conveniences allow us to get some dry clothes on — a quick stop on Elmley Island — a long safari drive through the grassy flatlands to the RSPB reserve for lunch — handshakes and smiles farewell

Medway - day 2 - Darnet Island and Hoo Salt Marsh

Kingsnorth power station from Darnet

Darnet Fort viewed from the east end of the island

Pinhole lessons

Wrecks on Hoo Salt Marsh

Hoo Fort viewed from the channels at high tide

Crossing the temporary gangplank to Darnet Fort

Inside Darnet Fort

Waiting for the baked apples to cook

Thankfully, no 4:30 wake-up call to paddle to Deadman's island — with the tide now out, exploring Darnet is the order of the day — after breakfast, a red sailed barge tacks patiently into the wind — the east side of Darnet extends an unexpectedly long way at low tide — we discover lots of bricks, pottery shards, Victorian bottles, and clay pipe stems — photos are taken by all — re-group at the fort for pinhole lessons — post-lunch, with the tide in, we cross the choppy shipping lane to Hoo Salt Marsh — examine the picturesque rusting and rotting boat hulls — an identical fort to Darnet, but without the flooding — float between a portal of two rusty barges to a sheltered inlet and shallow channels — peaceful, calm paddling in the sun — in contrast to the exertion of paddling back across the whitewater shipping lane — cross the perilous gangplank to Darnet Fort — impeccable Victorian construction of thick iron and brick archways — vodka and tonic time — veggie sausages, tomato and chilli sauce, couscous, fire-warmed flatbread and hummus for supper — impatiently, we develop our pinhole experiments with mixed results — the strong wind buffets the tent all night