Another image from our recent trip to Devil’s Dyke on the South Downs. This was the scene that greeted us on arrival at the nightmarishly early time of lunch time (getting on for 1pm). We are not early risers!
The north slopes of the downs were still deep in frost and shadow and there was a film of low lying mist which in the distance had a definite yellow tinge to it – clearly visible to the right of the image – and that is pollution.
We enjoyed lunch and the scene had barely changed. Many times, people like us who don’t really ‘do’ early starts, lose out; but on this occasions we didn’t. We were very fortunate.
LensScaper 
I’m about as early a riser as your are, Andy 🙂
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Glad I’m not the only one.
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Great scene, Andy…despite the late start!!😉
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Thanks Sue, not often that the weather waits for the late risers!
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😀😀
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Wow, sounds good this, very civilised. Super shot too.
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Thanks Paula
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It’s an unusual image — not least because of that lingering frost. I wasn’t sure about the meaning of “dyke.” By the time I got done exploring, I was even more confused, as it seems the word can refer to prehistoric land forms, stone fences, or stone and sod combinations that have been overgrown and now look like nothing more than hillocks. (As one reference said, “Woe betide the feckless soul who tries to plow through one with a bulldozer!”)
If the hills in this photo are the dykes, I think I’d bet on “prehistoric land form” as the answer. I could be wrong, of course.
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The ‘Dyke’ in this case means ditch. If I had walked in the complete opposite direction from the direction the picture is taken I would have walked down into a steep sided ‘V’ shaped valley which is called the Devil’s Dyke. Folklore had it that this was created by the devil – hence the name. The real cause was water erosion. There is an interesting article on Wikipedia about it.
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You got a lovely shot , at that ungodly hour, of the famous Devil’s dyke
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Lovely image Andy and as you say fortunate that an early start wasn’t necessary on this occasion.
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I see that you did get up early and found the frost too, Alan. The north facing slopes were frozen all day.
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1 p.m. is an early start for you, Andy? My god. That’s when I go to bed! 🙂 Regardless of the hour, this is one stunner of an image. What a shame that its beauty is due in part to pollution though, isn’t it? I do hope some of that will diminish as we gradually switch over to electric cars …
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I was writing slightly ‘tongue in cheek’! Sadly pollution is a fact of life. Some years ago there was a major fire in the tunnel that goes under Mont Blanc in the French Alps from France to Italy. It was a route used by many trucks. When the tunnel was closed and trucks had to take an entirely different route the Chamonix valley was clear of pollution and the air was clearer than it had been for many years. When the tunnel re-opened the pollution returned and it was clearly visible to the naked eye.
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The light made me think you were up early, but I guess it’s just the season’s low sun. What a open and inviting landscape you have photographed, and of course the light is delightful.
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Thanks Otto. I spent my entire career (doctor by profession) being got out of bed at all hours of the night, and so in retirement the idea of getting up early has rather lost its attraction! I only get up early when skiing or climbing these days.
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Wow! That’s beautiful Andy. Lovely light, amazing view! 🙂
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Thanks Adrian. A proper winter’s day with frost and sun low in the sky.
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