Club members met up at How Hill near Ludham in Norfolk for sunrise.
We had last been here in April 2021 – see my blog post here, and a shot from back then below
On that visit, we had some amazing morning sunlight but we knew from the forecast this time round that this morning would not bring any sun. However, it was great to meet up and do some shooting.
As ever, we met at the car park (this time of year, it’s a reasonable 06:45) and wandered down to Turf Fen Mill. Setting up our tripods, we took a few shots.
Turf Fen Mill History
The 19th-century drainage mill at Turf Fen is one of the Norfolk Broad’s most iconic sights. The mill stands on the west bank of the River Ant, a short distance from the How Hill outdoor education centre.
The mill was built sometime around 1875 to drain Horning marsh into the river Ant and make the fields on the west bank of the river suitable for grazing livestock. It was built by William Rust, a millwright from Great Yarmouth.
The mill stands 31 feet high and has a tower of brick, divided internally into two floors, with a wooden main shaft. It is topped with a boat-shaped weatherboarded cap, with four double shuttered sails. Each sail is divided into seven bays.
The mill direction is aided by a six-bladed fantail. The sails drive a unique double scoop wheel, which could be set to a low or high gear.
Turf Fen mill went out of service in 1920 when the fields were no longer used to graze livestock. In 1976 the mill was taken over by the Norfolk Windmills Trust, who began a restoration project.
The mill was fitted with a new cap and sails, and restoration was completed in 1986. In 2007 trainee millwrights fitted new wooden paddles to the scoop wheel.
The location also has Boardman’s Mill, a trestle designed open timber mill built in 1897.
Beside the river is a thatched boathouse, and a short stroll away is Toad Hole Cottage Museum, a restored 19th-century marshman’s cottage restored to show how it would have looked in the Victorian period.
Shots from the morning
The light was challenging early on so everyone was checking composition and getting their gear set up.
As the light improved, we were checking settings and generally taking in the still water on the river, the reflections of the mill, and the quietness.
I am very pleased with my first shot, as shown below:
I think the colour version works better but it’s also decent as a black and white shot. An neutral density (ND) filter was used to allow a 30 second slow exposure shot which brought out movement in the clouds.
It was so relaxing being out and chatting with the guys taking in the scenery. It was very quiet, still and peaceful. We observed that a lot of the bushes along the river had been cut down or trimmed.
Although the sun didn’t appear as we knew from the forecast, the morning light was getting brighter and some colour was coming through the bushes as well as providing great reflections in the water.
I joined a fellow club member further back on the riverbank path, and we both commented on how pleasant the scene was from this position, especially with the emerging morning brightness bringing out the colours from the bushes.
It was then time to move around and try some different compositions. The shot below I used the path as a leading line.
For my final shot of the morning, I walked back along the riverbank path to grab this shot with a long leading line.
I think the shot below may be one of my favourites as it’s a little different to the stereotypes shot at this location.
By this time, the light was quite bright, and a breeze had started which made the river water move and ripple. It was also quite chilly now.
We packed up our gear and headed back to the car park to decant our stuff back into our cars and reach for our flasks.
Hot drinks and chit chat followed and we all agreed that the morning brought a lot more than the forecast had implied.
Onwards and upwards…