ALL SAINTS CHURCH HEMSWELL UK.

All Saints Church in Hemswell in Lincolnshire. The plaque on the west face of the tower recounts the successive demolitions and rebuildings of various parts of the church 1754 - 1764 and names the church wardens responsible. The nave and chancel were further restored and Gothicised in 1858 but the three bay early English north arcade has survived.  Unfortunately on the day we visited the church was closed, so we were unable to see the interior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Lych Gate.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

AIRCRAFT # 8.

 

Mc DONNELL PHANTOM F4-C  ( U.S.A ).

 

Fighter and Fighter Bomber duties.

 

Armament - 4xRaytheon Aim - 7 E Sparrow 111B`s or 4xNWC Aim-9B Sidewinder 1A`s. Powerplant - 2xG.E. J79-GE-15`s with re-heat. Max Speed - 1,606mph.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

VICKERS V.700 VISCOUNT.

 

Medium range Airliner -- 40/50 passengers and 3 or 4 crew.

 

Powerplant - 4 Rolls Royce Dart R.DA.6 MK510 Turbo Prop engines driving 4 blade variable pitch propellers. Dimensions - wingspan - 93ft-8inches. Length - 81ft-10in. Weight - max 64,500lbs. Performance - max cruising speed - 334mph. Range with max payload - 1,330 miles.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

Undercarriage.

 

SEPECAT JAGUAR ACT.

 

This unique aircraft was used to develop the Electronic Flying Control System used on the Eurofighter Typhoon.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

FOLLAND GNAT F1.

 

The single seat Gnat 1 fighter was the forerunner of the two seat Gnat T1 trainer which achieved fame with the Red Arrows aerobatic team. Designed by Follands chief engineer Mr W Petter. The Gnat represented an attempt to move away from the increasing size and cost of modern fighter aircraft.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

DE HAVILLAND DOVE MK2.

 

Feeder - Liner Transport.

 

Armament - none. Powerplant - 2xDH Gipsy Queen 345hp in line piston engines. Max speed - 210mph.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

BRISTOL 188.

 

High speed research.

 

Built mainly of stainless steel, this aircraft was designed to investigate the effects of heat on aircraft structures at very high speeds. To protect the pilot against heat build up a special cockpit refrigeration system was installed. Nicknamed Flaming Pencil, only two Bristol 188s ever flew, a third being used for ground tests.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

GLOSTER METEOR F8 ( prone )

 

A much modified Meteor F8 fighter, the prone position meteor was used to evaluate the advantages of coping with the effects of gravity while flying lying down. In practice the difficulties of operating the controls of the aircraft outweighed the advantages. The development of special aviation clothing offered a simpler solution to the problem of counteracting `G` forces and the prone position was abandoned.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

HUNTING H126.

 

Research prototype.

 

This unusual looking research aircraft was capable of flight at speeds as low as 32mph by virtue of it`s Jet Flaps which used thrust ducted from the main engines to increase lift.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

FAIREY FD2.

 

Supersonic research.

 

In the late 1940s Britain was trailing far behind in supersonic aircraft design. To try to retrieve matters the ministry of supply issued a specification for a supersonic research aircraft and Fairey set about meeting this with a delta winged aircraft designed for investigation into flight and control at transonic and supersonic speeds. This aircraft is the second of only two FD2s built.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

DE HAVILLAND DH112 VENOM FB4.

 

Despite a strong resemblance to the earlier De Havilland Vampire the Venom was in fact a largely new design, incorporating an entirely new wing and other refinements to take full advantage of the more powerful De Havilland Ghost engine.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA PR9.

 

High altitude reconnaissance aircraft.

 

The Canberra has been one of the worlds outstanding photographic reconnaissance aircraft. The Royal Air Force identified that the Canberra  Jet bombers height and speed performance made it ideal for development into a photo reconnaissance aircraft. It has been a major part of the RAFs intelligence gathering capability for many years.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

GLOSTER JAVELIN FAW.8 XH992.

 

Night and all weather interceptor.

 

Aircrew - 2. Max speed - 620mph. Range - 930 miles. Armament - two 30mm Aden Cannon, four Firestreak missiles. Powerplant - two Bristol Siddeley Sapphire engines each rated at 12,390lbs static thrust.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

SAAB AJ/SH37 VIGGEN 37918/57.

 

Multi role fighter.

 

Aircrew - one. Max speed - Mach 2  1,321mph. Landing speed - 137mph. Range - 1,240 miles. Armament - 1x30mm Oerliken built in cannon plus up to 6 missiles ( radar and I.R. air to air ). Powerplant - Volvo Flygmotor type RM8B P and W JT8D-22 with Swedish afterburner and thrust reverser, rated at 16,200lbs static thrust.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

BRITISH AEROSPACE JETSTREAM  T MK1  XX492.

 

Multi engine pilot trainer.

 

Aircrew - two plus instructor and seating for up to six passengers. Max speed - 285mph. Range - 1,382 miles. Armament - none. Powerplant - two 940 E.S.H.P Turbomeca Astazou XV1 turboprops.

 

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

























 









 





BIRDS ( feathered kind ) #3.

 

BURROWING OWL.

 

Athene Cunicularia.

 

Burrowing owls are unique from other owl species because they nest underground. They are capable of digging their own burrows, but often use abandoned mammal tunnels. Interestingly they place mammal dung outside their burrows to attract beetles to prey upon. Young owlets are capable of mimicking the noise of rattlesnakes which scares potential predators away from the burrow. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active in the day. Habitat - grasslands, plains, savannah and desert. Diet - invertebrates, small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Lifespan - up to 10 years.

 



~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

SNOWY OWL.

 

Nyctea Scandiaca.

 

The snowy owl is a bird of the Artic Tundra and is only a rare visitor to northern most parts of the British Isles. It likes open country where it can hunt for lemmings, voles and other small mammals or birds like ducks, geese and ptarmigan. It hunts in daylight and its flight is more like that of a hawk or eagle than other owls. It has a wingspan of around 1.5m and is capable both of hovering to watch prey on the ground, and flying incredibly fast to strike down birds in the air.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

AVOCET.

 

Recurvirostra Avosetta.

 

A distinctively patterned black and white wader with a long up curved beak. Avocets nest in loose colonies of up to around 150 pairs. Outside the breeding season the birds are usually in flocks of 6 - 30 individuals but feeding flocks can be several hundred strong. Flocks break up for duration of the breeding season. There are two feeding methods. In clear water Avocets feed by sight by picking prey from the surface of water or mud. In poor visibility and when locating prey from within the sediments they forage by touch, sweeping the long up curved bill from side to side through water or loose sediment to locate hidden prey. Habitat - coastal lagoons, east and south coasts of England, Mediterranean and Africa. Diet - invertebrates, crustaceans and worms. Lifespan - 7 years.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

TEMMINCKS TRAGOPAN.

 

Tragopan Temminckii.

 

The Temmincks Tragopan or crimson bellied tragopan as it is sometimes called is one of the most beautiful of all the Pheasants. The male has a flamboyant red and blue throat bib seen on display during courtship. The bib or wattle inflates and is shaken to attract the females attention and if she is sufficiently impressed she will allow mating. The female is much drabber than the male. Habitat - forests, dense evergreen and bamboo. Diet - plants, shoots, berries and insects. Lifespan - 4 years in the wild, 12 years in captivity.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

DOMESTICATED TURKEYS.

 

The males ( stags ) have a fleshy snood just below their eyes. In the middle of the stags chest are a group of long feathers called a beard, some hens ( females ) also have beards but not all of them. Its purpose is unknown.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

EUROPEAN EAGLE OWL.

 

Bubo Bubo.

 

Adults have a wingspan of five to six feet and will weigh up to nine pounds. There are between twelve and forty wild European eagle owls in the UK. Some may have arrived here after flying across the north sea from Europe and some may be escapees from captivity. Occasionally some species of owl have been seen resting on oil platforms in the middle of the north sea.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

GREAT HORNED OWL.

 

Bubo Virgin Ianus.

 

Also known as the Tiger Owl or the Hoot Owl. It is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. Its primary diet is rabbits and hares, rats, mice and voles, although it freely hunts any animal it can overtake including rodents and other small mammals, larger mid sized mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

KESTREL.

 

The name Kestrel is given to several different members of the Falcon genus Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around 10 - 20 metres over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects. Kestrels are notable for usually having a lot of brown in their plumage.

 

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

BARN OWL.

 

The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl and one of the most widespread of all birds. The barn owl is found almost everywhere in the world except polar and desert regions. This owl does not hoot, but utters an eerie drawn out shriek. The barn owl is nocturnal over most of its range but in Britain and some Pacific islands, it also hunts by day. Barn owls specialise in hunting animals on the ground and nearly all of their food consists of small mammals which they locate by sound, their hearing being very acute.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

INDIAN TAWNY EAGLE.

 

The Tawny Eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It breeds in most of Africa both north and south of the Sahara Desert and across tropical south western Asia to India. It is a resident breeder which lays one to three eggs in a stick nest in a tree or crag on the ground. Throughout its range it favours open dry habitats such as deserts, semi desert, steppes or savannah plains. The tawny eagles diet is largely fresh carrion of all kinds but it kills small mammals up to the size of a rabbit, reptiles and birds up to the size of a Guinea Fowl. It also steals food from other raptors.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

 

 

 

AFRICAN HOODED VULTURE.

 

Necrosyrtes Monachus.

 

The hooded vulture is a typical vulture with a bald head that is usually white but flushes red when agitated and a greyish hood. It has fairly uniform dark brown body plumage. It has broad wings for soaring and short tail feathers. It is a small species compared to most vultures.

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 

Sorry for the cage netting showing in some of the photos but it is not always possible to throw them out of focus. Can be a real pain at times and very frustrating.

 

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~

 





 





 





 

 

 





 

 

 



 



 

 



 



SETTLE - CARLISLE RAILWAY STATION.

The railway station at Settle can be found in the centre of this small and pretty market town in the UK. The station was opened in 1876 when the rail line was first made operational and remains open to this day. The railway buildings are in the distinctive Derby Gothic style. The station forms part of what was formerly a much larger complex including a goods shed, weigh office, sidings, cattle dock, signal box and water tank. Goods facilities were withdrawn in 1970 but even today the water tank and station masters house, although now in private ownership, provide evidence of the stations past.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WATER TANK.

 

This is the only surviving water tower out of eight between Settle and Carlisle. Settle water tower was built in 1876 the year the line opened. Its sandstone came from Shipley. The 43,000 gallon tank is of cast iron, supported by massive iron beams. The water supply came from the Hoffman kiln at Stainforth, higher up the line. No pumping was involved. The supply pipe is still alongside the up line. The original inlet, outlet and overflow pipes are still inside the tower along with the massive outlet valve. From the tower the water went by underground pipes to the water cranes on Settle station. The water tower is now a private house, a floor has been inserted half way up to create a three story building with internal stairs and a lift. The hairy - scary ladder is now the top floor fire escape. Rainwater that falls on the tower, its rear extension and on the large hut is harvested in a 1,000 gallon underground tank. The tower has triple glazing, underfloor heating, heat recovery ventilation and solar panels.

 

 

 

 

~~~~<<<<>>>>~~~~