Rushin’ Around the Cotswolds [Silberra Pan 200]

broadway tower cotswolds

Images shot on Silberra Pan 200 in Yashica Electro 35 GSN

If you ever find yourself with the time and money to explore the UK, you won’t be short of picturesque places to go.

Edinburgh is one, as I wrote about here. I mention there as the photographs on that article were shot on the same roll of Silberra Pan 200 as these you see on this one.

Unfortunately I’m not sure if you’ll be able to get any of the film for yourself as it was a reward for backing the Russian newcomer’s crowdfunding campaign.

Their nationality accounts for the terrible pun in this piece’s title, although that doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate.

This really is a quick run through a few places in the Costwolds – another of the UK’s most scenic spots, just to tie this introduction together – which probably works best as something for you to base further reading on should you want to.

Let’s start on Broadway.

Biggin’ up Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower, the tower you saw in the header image of this piece, stands on Fish Hill, an ancient beacon site and the second highest point in the Cotswolds, not far from the village of… Broadway.

First dreamt up by the fantastically-named landscape architect Capability Brown before his death in 1783, it was subsequently designed by James Wyatt in 1794, with the building being completed for one Lady Coventry by 1799.

Since then its been used to house a printing press and over 60,000 manuscripts, was a holiday retreat for members of the Arts and Crafts Movement, and saw service as a WWI and WWII enemy aircraft lookout tower, all in that order.

During the Cold War it became a place to monitor nuclear fallout, with an underground bunker being dug just 50 yards away. That bunker is still fully equipped to this day and is also open to visitors.

With its base at 312 metres above sea level and rising 65 metres itself, you can see why it was given those latter roles.

They say you can see 16 English counties from the top of Broadway Tower on a clear day.

I couldn’t name them all when I was on the roof but it was a spectacular view nonetheless, although you’ll have to take my word for that as I didn’t get any photos from up there.

Seein’ Stratford-upon-Avon

If you know a little, and I mean only a little, about Stratford-upon-Avon, it’s probably going to be Shakespeare-related.

That’s chiefly what brings around 2.5 million visitors to the town every year.

The Royal Shakespeare Company are based in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which shares a building on the Avon riverfront with the smaller Swan Theatre. I didn’t take a picture of the theatres, or even of a swan.

Maybe some Canada geese are close enough though.

Another Shakespeare landmark is the house he was born in, in 1564. Located on the pedestrianised Henley Street, I found it refreshingly understated for a building of its cultural significance.

There are no huge signs telling you what it is or directing you to the ticket office.

Unless you already knew, you could probably walk straight past without realising what you’re walking straight past.

The biggest clue really was the people posing for photographs outside its barred (heh, bard) fence.

Roundin’ up the rest

Three more Cotswolds towns we can rush through were Evesham, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Snowshill.

The first of these had another scenic waterfront where I did manage to snap some swans. Considering I had no idea there was a Swan Theatre in Stratford before writing this up, that was a nice coincidence.

Adjacent to the river is Abbey Park, which you can walk through to get to Evesham’s bell tower. Should you do so, you’ll likely see the war memorial on the way.

It was surrounded by some temporary fencing when I was there, which I decided to use in the shot rather than bemoan its presence.

Bourton-on-the-Water and Snowshill are two of the most picturesque places I saw in the Cotswolds, but the one shot I got of each do nothing to relay that.

The former has a delightful stream running through it with some lovely stone bridges completing the scene. Visually, the pasty shop was not a highlight, although culinarily the Thai green curry chicken pasty I got from it was

Speaking of green, if I had to choose a place Snowshill could be twinned with, it’d be Greendale.

The one shot I got of its churchyard in no way does it justice, although the one here just about does.

Wrappin’ up from the Cotswolds

That’s the shots I got from a few places in the Cotswolds with the Yashica Electro 35 GSN.

To be completely frank, I wasn’t really rushin’ that much at the time. I just didn’t take that many photographs while I was there so this article is a bit of a rush around them.

The Silberra Pan 200 did okay with what I did shoot though, just as it did in Edinburgh. I’ll write a full review of it soon enough. You’ll know when I have because this line will have been edited to link to it.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to the Cotswolds yourself, I recommend you take it. I also recommend you do more photography there than I did, as I really didn’t scratch the surface of the place here.

Personally, I’ll be taking colour film if I ever get back there too.

Of course you may have been there already and have a bunch of shots you’d like to share. Let us know in the comments below if so – especially if they were shot on film or with a vintage lens. 😀

If you enjoyed that post, why not take a look at these others to stay inspired or learn more about some other films I’ve shot and reviewed:

  1. Some more shots taken on this same roll of Silberra Pan 200
  2. Another great British city shot on monochrome film
  3. Another great world city shot on monochrome film

And if you think others will enjoy this post on shooting film around the Cotswolds, help them find it by giving it a share.  🙂

written by
LEE WEBB
Hi, I'm Lee - creator of My Favourite Lens and the one whose work you're seeing whenever you read a post on here.
I shoot as much film as I can in as many different cameras as I can, and I enjoy playing with vintage lenses on digital cameras also.

Everything I do and what I learn along the way gets shared on here, to inform and inspire you to get out and shoot as much - and as well - as you can too.

3 thoughts on “Rushin’ Around the Cotswolds [Silberra Pan 200]”

  1. I actually lived near the Cotswolds for a while and will dig out and digitise the 35mm slides I have. And send them over. You have achieved quality over quantity. Your photos say everything about the fetishisation of place. ‘The Cornish bakery’ shot speaks volumes. ‘The Cotswolds’ have become a surreal little theme park. Much better to have fewer images each of which speak loudly than lots of images each of which speak quietly. There’s more to the Cotswolds than picture postcard villages. I’d also suggest Shropshire if you like the Cotswolds

    Reply
  2. I actually lived near the Cotswolds for a while and will dig out and digitise the 35mm slides I have. And send them over. You have achieved quality over quantity. Your photos say everything about the fetishisation of place. ‘The Cornish bakery’ shot speaks volumes. ‘The Cotswolds’ have become a surreal little theme park. Much better to have fewer images each of which speak loudly than lots of images each of which speak quietly. There’s more to the Cotswolds than picture postcard villages. Illegal raves and a thriving drug scene spring to mind.

    Reply
    • Thanks Tom. Yeah, send them over and let’s get a guest post up! The last sentence in your comment made me laugh by the way. Didn’t see that coming haha. 😀

      Reply

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