A Pull Through the Arch
This is the last landscape photo I took before I had another flare up of my chronic condition. It was too much to handle and by the time we got back the pain was so intense that I had to lie down and wait for it to calm as I couldn’t really do much else at the time. Do I regret doing it though? No. Am I still in pain? Yes.
This photo however isn’t tarnished or ruined by the fact that I was, for lack of a better word, feeling broken at the end of the day, in a sense it’s now got more meaning.
My partner and I had headed out for a walk as I was needing to get some photos for my university course and her friend was wanting to meet up with us. It was also a good opportunity to walk my dog, Kernow, and get some more training in him with walking in a city on a lead. (We’ve mainly stuck to the countryside for our walks where there are fields for him to run around in).
The place we walked to was called the Royal William Yard, a landmark on the seafront of Plymouth. The Royal William Yard was built between 1826 and 1835, designed by the architect Sir John Rennie and named after King William IV. The Royal William Yard was a major victualling port for the Royal Navy until it was released from the MOD in 1992, since then it has passed through 2 corporations and ended up being maintained and used for civilian purposes such as bars, marinas and hairdressers.
Thankfully a lot of the original stonework is still there, especially regarding the external wall and some of the buildings within the walls have now been listed as Grade I/II buildings.
I’ve never much liked cities if I’m honest, they’re loud and noisy, concrete jungles and whilst there is wildlife if you look hard enough, I much prefer the open spaces and peacefulness of the countryside. I lived in Bristol for 2 years a few years ago and was always looking to escape and get away from the hecticness of it all. Whilst I do appreciate the parks and the scenic areas of these cities, you can still hear the hustle and bustle of the world working away as everyone is rushing to get somewhere counting the minutes like they cost millions of pounds, which I’m sure for some of them they might.
Cities aren’t for me. However, I whilst the walk through Plymouth wasn’t really noteworthy other than a tree on a roundabout I took a liking too, the Royal William Yard was a nice place to visit. I love my history, whether that be in the countryside or the cities, history is history and there’s always a story to be found. As my lecturers keep on reinforcing, there’s always a story and as humans that how we function and communicate, with stories.
There’s obviously the usual plaques that accompany these places, however the stonework and the seafront just had my attention wrapped around it’s little finger. Of all the things I saw that day and all the photos I took, this one has to be my favourite. The stonework of the archway and the sea in the background, with Drake’s Island breaking up the horizon. It’s inviting you to come through the archway and see what else is on the other side, to see what mysteries lie in wait and what adventures will call to you.
I’ve always felt that the ocean calls to humans, the sense of adventure and infinite possibilities, that horizon that promises so much on distant shores of golden sand and crystal waters. It’s easy to see why we took to the seas so much and why people today sail around the world for pleasure, to see what they can find. With all this being said, looking out at the ocean from a cliffside is enough to make you feel this pull into the unknown, but I feel with the tunnel in the archway… that pull is even stronger. Even though there is Drake’s Island in the way, I felt a pull to somehow make my way to that island so I could explore the history that island holds on it’s shores.
