Cobbs Engine House.
Almost silhouetted against a dark, moody sky.
Having mentioned yesterday that Windmill End was a busy mining area, today’s shot captures something of the spirit of that era. Whilst the mines and the workers are here no longer, this structure stands guard as a monument to how things used to be. This was not, as you might expect, built to supply water to the canals. The primary function of Cobbs Engine House, dating back to 1831, was to pump water out from the mines below, although the canal, of course, did benefit.
The pump was taken out of commission in 1928 and by 1930 the Newcomen steam engine was moved to the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. The shells of the buildings remain, now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade II Listed Building. The effect on this photograph, which was taken around mid-day, has been created by taking into the (hazy) sun. A 10-Stop ND filter has slowed the exposure down, allowing it to be stretched to 30 seconds. This has created the movement in the clouds. Finally, the shot has been converted to monochrome
Photograph Details:
- Taken: 28 Jan 2020
- Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
- Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm 1:2.8 L II USM
- Focal Length 28mm
- F/22
- 6 Sec
- ISO 250