The Tardis

[Dave L]

A quiet road straddles the ancient English counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire.The winding road from Hungerford to Burbage has many surprises with beautiful views of valleys, Norman churches and villages brimming with thatched cottages. You can glimpse a rare windmill from here and watch birds of prey swoop down on their victims. Then on a sharp right bend a turning signposted 'Wexcombe' and once again the road narrows and climbs. Half a mile onwards you are on a country road with views on both sides. As you climb something catches your eye - travelling in a car you may just miss it - and it takes a few seconds to grasp what you may have seen. Did I really see that ?.........

Stop the car and reverse.......a round redbrick building in the middle of..of....well....nowhere ! Placed a few yards from the road and situated next to a track or path that meanders in the direction of...who knows where.

For years now we have passed this curious structure and allowed our imaginations to wander...... a storage place for something ...home for a hermit... a time machine perhaps ? Thank goodness my basic but trusty Minolta DiMage X20 was with me the other day...I feel that this architectural curiosity may in the future simply...disappear! UUUuuuummmm !

[Old Timer]

Your image does make one stop and think just what the purpose of this structure is and why it stand there guarding a road to no where. Very nice colors and tonal range. I like the way the road leads you down and out of the image but the overall photo seems a little out of balance some how. I am not sure that the foreground puddles add much to the overall composition. I would try a bottom and a right side crop and just to see what it might do. Overall a very fine photo.

[bdbloom]

I like the image, but the fact that the building leans to the right a little really bothers me. I quickly straightened it in PS, then cropped the right side and a little bit of the sky and was much more satisfied with the image. (sorry I didn't save it.)

Play around with it some. It's got some really appealing elements!

[Dave L]

Appreciate the comments. For those eager to have a close up of this peculiar building.....take a closer look....and it stills leans...like the tower of Pisa....

[Young Shooter]

i dont know about this picture everything is good in the photographer point of view but honstly i feel the picture is empty... sorry for the neg comment

[Dave L]

All comments welcome positive or negative...that's the idea of this forum...so please no need to apologize. Many thanks

[ACArmstrong]

...you're right - it makes you think about what it's used for. I hope you don't mind, but I played around a bit with it in PS. I felt like it might tell a different story if it were a little less sunny and a little more bleak outside.

[Dave L]

I like that - could the photo been shot in B&W ? give it more....atmosphere ?

[ACArmstrong]

B&W on a cloudy overcast day would be a great story teller - I might even take a range of shots from a standing position all the way down to the ground. The little house against the grey clouds, shot from a low angle would look ominous, maybe even foreboding.

I really do like this subject. It's interesting.

[Dave L]

I agree - I find this type of pic interesting and not at all 'empty'. Here is a great piece of old architecture in the middle of the english countryside. We frequently drive passed this and see folks stop to admire it - its somewhat out of place where it is. I understand from a friend that it is an ornate entrance to a water reservoir.... if so, makes it a more interesting subject...who would have known this ? why was it so ornately contructed ? how do you access the reservoir ? I think any pic of this location would fire the imagination ....as you suggest B&W during stormy weather would be very good.