Tag: places of historic interest

Audley End House, Saffron Walden

Audley End house is a magnificent example of a 17th century stately home near Saffron Walden in Essex. The property was also once a royal palace in the time of Charles II (1668) who purchased the property for £5 in order to be able to attend races at Newmarket. Audley End is now managed by English Heritage but all paintings and period decorations are from the original time and form part of a private collection. 

Audley End House. Essex
Audley End House. Essex

HDR composed of three bracketed shots at -2, 0 and +2 exposures and processed in Photomatix Pro. Please click on the photo for a larger version.

The Alamo!

The battle of the Alamo (1836) has attained a mythical status in american culture and history. The story of this battle has been told many times in print and on film, so much so that it is now difficult to separate truth from hype and fiction. Either way, the remains of the Alamo mission is a historical legacy of the wars between american forces of the Texas colonist and Mexico leading to the establishment of the Republic of Texas. The story of a few embattled soldiers fighting against an overwhelming force resounds throughout human history and the Alamo is one such example of exemplary bravery in the face of all odds.

The Alamo Mission, San Antonio
The Alamo mission. Ruins from the Battle of the Alamo (1836). Click on the photo for a larger version.

 

Photographed at ISO100, f/14 20 second exposure. Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 lens perched on a bottle cap!

Star Gazing!

The Jantar-Mantar is a cluster of 18th century astronomical instruments that formed an observatory for observing the celestial skies in Delhi. These were built by the Maharajah of Jaipur Jai Singh II. Today these buildings sit as an ochre and green oasis in the centre of New Delhi.

The photo below is that of the Ram Yantra, a cylindrical building that is used to measure the movement of stars.

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Inside the Ram Yantra – a star observatory at the 18th century Jantar Mantar complex in New Delhi. Click on photograph for a larger version on Flickr.
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