Keen to practice my photography in different locations, I jumped in the car while the kids were at school and took myself off to a National Trust site in Surrey called Leith Hill. I was totally chancing it as I’d never been before but it worked out well because it is a glorious location.
At the top of Leith Hill is the imaginatively titled Leigh Hill Tower. It was from the top of the tower that I took this photograph looking south towards the English Channel.
I very rarely attempt landscape photography these days. I’ve tried in the past but I generally find someone else has already taken a picture-postcard image.
On this occasion, however, I thought the landscape was so stunning I took the picture. I felt the 50/50 mix of landscape and sky worked well and the clouds added a slightly surreal aspect to the image.
In the editing process I’ve slightly increased the vibrancy and blues, but only a tiny bit. Otherwise it remains untouched.
I’m a little unclear why Leith Hill Tower was built, but it seems to have been created as a folly. It was built in the 1800s and has a troubled history. Apparently the construction work was poor and it quickly fell into disrepair. It then became a hotbed of criminal activity with poachers, smugglers and other undesirables using it as a base for their illicit activities.
All the while, sailors in the English Channel would use it to help them navigate their ships. I hadn’t appreciated this during my visit, but the English Channel is only 25 miles away from the Tower.
The owners eventually filled it in with rubble and concrete to keep the undesirables away. It was subsequently renovated and became a popular tourist attraction before being donated to the National Trust. As a National Trust property, it attracted another form of undesirable; a dad blogger armed with his camera.
Below is a picture of Leith Hill Tower itself. It’s not the best image. A large delivery can turned up just as I was trying to take a shot and this made it impossible to get a picture with the surrounding landscape. Even so, it gives you an idea what the tower looks like.
As I regularly do with my photography-focused blog posts, I’ll be adding this to the #MySundayPhoto linky hosted by the Photalife.com blog. It’s a fantastic linky showcasing some great photography so do click on the badge below to pay it a visit.
16 thoughts on “View from Leith Hill Tower”
What a fantastic landscape! You can see for miles. Interesting to read about Leith Hill Tower too.
It’s a place with a very interesting history and set in a wonderful location. Well worth visiting if you’re ever in the area Sarah.
Wow what an interesting history. I can imagine there being some stand offs and possibly the odd murder here. Amazing view too!
Wow that is a stunning view. What an interesting place too. #mysundayphoto
That is stunning, you can see for miles. I need to start venturing further afield and this looks like a great place to start
Have a good Sunday and thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto
wow lovely view will have to mark this down as somewhere to visit
Hi John, it’s a lovely photo and worthy of postcard status too. The greenness stretching for as far as the eye can see is something we don’t see here and as for the sky with its summer clouds? I think that’s accent wall in a bedroom worthy… I have this vision of Dad blogger sitting down with other undesirables and sharing villainous stories.
xx
I love folly with a fascinating history. Always a bonus if smugglers are involved! Love the colours of the landscape. It looks so quintessentially English!
What a view you had! You can see for miles….
you can indeed. You can see why sailors used to navigate by the tower can’t you?
That is a wonderful view of the English countryside.
Thanks Emma. Oddly, that’s what I said myself while at the top of the tower.
Great photo …. Leith Hill Place just down the hill does the best cream tea in Surrey IMO
Afraid I didn’t get a chance to try the tea but I’ll keep it in mind for next time.
Clear blue days are made for appreciating views like this. You can see so far.
Oh they are Fiona and from that vantage point, the skies were all the more amazing.