We build too many walls and not enough bridges
Commonly attributed to Sir Isaac Newton
Searching for a quote to introduce this theme of ‘Walls’ I was struck by the one above. It is, as I said, commonly attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, but there is no evidence he said this. An internet search reveals a more likely source, one Reverend Joseph Fort Newton But whoever said it, and when, sadly it seems very apposite to our times. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if right now we were building more bridges than walls?
Pope Francis expanded on the theme, saying that the aim of communication should be:
to build bridges where many build walls; to foster community where many deepen divisions
And yet, the world is full of walls, and turning to more literal examples we have to admit that they are often necessary. Some are purely functional, marking a boundary and built to keep people (or animals) out, or in. Others are mainly decorative, or are functional but have also been decorated. And of course buildings have to have walls, both external and internal.
But for this post I’ve chosen to focus mainly on boundary walls rather than those that are part of structures. The exceptions are a couple that were once part of structures which are long since gone, leaving only some crumbling walls to mark where they once stood.
Some of my walls are quite close to home and some are from further afield. And as this Monochrome Madness challenge is hosted by Margaret I’m starting with a couple of shots of the iconic and very photogenic drystone walls of the Yorkshire Dales.
All these images were shot originally in colour and edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro. To find out more about the Monochrome Madness challenge take a look at the information on Leanne’s blog.
Drystone walls and barns, Swaledale, Yorkshire, England
Drystone wall, Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England
Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland
[also featured above]
Lindisfarne Priory, Holy Island, Northumberland, north east England
Lichen on a wall in Ealing, west London
In Brentford, west London
Lesnes Abbey ruins, Abbey Wood, east London
[full name: the Abbey of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr at Lesnes]
One of the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall
Wall surrounding a castle near Sibiu, Romania
City wall and tower, Tallinn, Estonia
The old city wall of Jaipur, Rajasthan
Detail of a wall at San Agustin Church of Paoay, Philippines, showing fossilised coral
Kitchen wall of the ruined ‘palace’ of Manthiri Manai near Jaffna, Sri Lanka, with holes to let the smoke out
Wall at our hotel in Cartagena, Colombia
The Elephant Terrace, Angkor Thom, Cambodia
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, Santiago de Guatemala
7 Comments
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
Great and varied selection. I think the ones that are ‘just wall’ work best for me – I’m just desperate to see the green in the others!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anabel 🙂 I get what you mean about the green though I still enjoy the patterns revealed or emphasised in monochrome!
Egídio
Sarah, this is a beautiful collection. Each photo is a gem. The drystone walls are iconic, and that Guatemala church closer is astounding. Beautiful captures!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Egidio ☺️ Have you ever been to Santiago di Guatemala? It has lots of part ruined churches, never rebuilt after earthquakes destroyed them.
Egídio
No, I haven’t been there. The only similar church I can recall that was not rebuilt after an earthquake is the one in Lisbon.
margaret21
These are great Sarah! I knew straight way that first image was Swaledale – it’s such a distinctive landscape with its cow’uses. And you’ve really got all your drystone wall images so well portrayed. I couldn’t get mine to respond to mono treatment. I’ll have to try Silver Efex or something as the tools available to me are simply too crude. And I should have thought of the Berlin Wall! Durr. All the same, you’ve stolen my heart with your Elephant Terrace. Its extreme weathering adds to its charm. A wonderful gallery – thanks for joining in, especially with your technical issues.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Margaret ☺️ I couldn’t resist including the elephant terrace of course, and Swaledale had to feature too. The Berlin Wall was a later thought, as was the kitchen wall from Jaffna. I’ll share a bit more of that building in a future post – it was a health and safety nightmare that we’d never have been permitted to enter in the UK, but it was a great ruin to photograph!