Old Slate Quarries, Charnwood Forest

Groby Pool, photo,Vivien Blackburn

Today was beautifully sunny but very cold. Small leaves are coming out on the trees and spring flowers are coming out.

I managed to get some photographs of another flooded quarry that I want to sketch. I like the calligraphic lines in this image and may get back there to sketch these reeds before spring foliage makes them thicker. This old quarry has been dammed but across the narrow road is a working quarry, invisible at ground level, hidden behind the trees but cutting deep into the ground. You can see it below. I wonder if they have to pump water out? or because the land is high here maybe it drains ok?

This pool is far bigger than the one in the previous sketch, with a small island in the middle.


An aerial view and a view across the pool.

I want to revisit this and do some sketching. There are lots of birds and the water was sparkling in the sunlight today with rippling waves lapping the shore - lots of movement unlike the still canal waters.

And there are others I mean to look at.

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