I have a friend who is always photographing ancient ruins. The photos are almost always taken in glorious summer weather under a blue sky. It made me realise just how many of my paintings are done between Autumn and Spring with storm clouds threatening. Looking through my sketchbook recently, I came across a sequence of drawings of Baconsthorpe Castle, near Holt. The weather that week had been fair and according to the forecast it was meant to continue, but when I set out that morning things didn't look at all promising. A restless light, scudding clouds, the threat of rain - would it clear or would the weather close in? I couldn't decide. But one thing was certain - there's nothing like a bit of storm light to add drama to a landscape... Baconsthorpe Castle is a couple of miles or so east of Holt, down a bumpy, potholed farm track. As I clattered over the suspension-testing cattle grid, a break in the trees revealed what remained of the Castle's inner gatehouse, a brooding presence under a dark, crow-scattered sky. The Castle was built in the mid 1400s by the Heydon family and expanded over the next two centuries, funded largely by the thriving wool trade. By the mid 1600s its fortunes had fallen into reverse and the castle was partially dismantled and sold off for building materials. Today it is an extensive ruin, encompassing an inner and outer gatehouse, a system of tumbledown walls and towers, surrounded by a moat and bordered by a broad mere. This first visit was an exploration with camera and sketchbook. I spent a long time wandering among the ruins, taking in the atmosphere of the place. The gusting wind, the hoarse cawing of crows, and a back drop of storm-blasted and ivy clad trees all added to a feeling of haunted bleakness. Sketching the outer wall and moat during a break in the weather. I was interested in the row of gun slots and their reflections. Fortunately, the Civil War is long over, otherwise I would have been directly in the firing line! A few minutes after that photo was taken, the weather turned foul again, and the wind was coming in gusts. Those perfect reflections scattered into a thousand watery pieces, and I had to take refuge in the shelter of the gatehouse, to save my papers from being blown into the moat. The inner gatehouse and moat. One of the earliest parts of the building, it comprised two lodges either side of the entrance gate, with grand rooms and a chapel above. The remains of the left hand lodge offered some shelter for sketching with good views of the ruins. The remains of servant quarters. The gaping windows, stark against the light, still have their oak frames intact. For structural subjects like Baconsthorpe I favour either charcoal or Conté. On this occasion I used Conté, which creates a harder, blacker line than charcoal, and suited the starkness of the subject. Ruined tower and archway. The tower originally held a fulling tank where the coarse woollen materials, produced on site, were softened in a mixture of soapy water and stale urine. The water quality appears to have improved over the centuries and is now crystal clear and home to a healthy looking clump of reeds. A coot shot out in a startled panic as I approached, and took refuge in the neighbouring mere. Below: Baconsthorpe Castle across the mere. Much as I would have preferred to paint the subject on site, the weather deteriorated, making further work impractical. This watercolour was painted back in my studio using on-site sketches and photos. If you are planning a visit to Baconsthorpe Castle be warned - it is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a medieval sentry who stands at the top of the castle walls, dropping plum stones into the moat. He is said to be completely harmless, aimlessly killing time as he awaits an invasion of long vanished pike men. I certainly didn't see the spectral sentry during my visit, but I must say, as I wandered the site, I did have an eerie feeling of being watched from above. It was probably just the crows.
On the other hand, I wonder what really startled that coot... Comments are closed.
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Judith Key
Judith Key is a Norfolk based artist, working in watercolour and pastel. She has exhibited with the Society of Graphic Fine Artists and New English Art Club at the Mall Galleries, London. Her paintings are in collections worldwide. Categories
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