Monday 14 December 2009

A river runs through it.....

At just after three this afternoon, the light was sinking out of a still, grey sky. I walked westwards through the market place in Ringwood, down the narrow street of Georgian and Victorian houses that leads to the place were the River Avon flows nearest to the town. Standing on the little bridge and looking to the south west, I saw the river flowing within its banks today but still full, swirling and fast after the recent heavy rains.

The Fish Inn, which used to stand by the main road out of town, is now only feet from the fast dual carriageway of the A31 and the thundering traffic on the road bridge over the River Avon.





The sun was beginning to set. Winter trees stood bare against a grey and pale apricot sky. The last light reflected in deep running water.




Back towards the town. Old Bank House in the market place is the fine building at the top of the road. This scene, with the thatched houses by the river, is one that is shown in Victorian and Edwardian photographs. A ford once existed where today`s little bridge spans a tributary of the Avon..


2 comments:

Bovey Belle said...

Lovely photos, as always. That final photo is one I have in a Francis Frith book somewhere, with ponies in the stream to the left bottom of the photo.

Dartford Warbler said...

That`s the one BB! I imagine that ponies in carts or being ridden through the town would have been taken down to the ford to drink.I wonder if stock being driven to Ringwood Market also came this way to drink?