A Windy Day in North Yorkshire: Capturing Richmondshire’s Hidden Gems

Today started off with such promise—a bit of early sunshine had me hopeful for a smooth day of flying and capturing some stunning locations in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire. But, as is often the case with the British weather, things didn’t go quite as planned.

A Blustery Start at Winston Bridge

We kicked off the day at Winston Bridge, a beautiful spot that I was eager to photograph from above. I got the drone up, but it quickly became clear that the wind had other ideas. The gusts were just too strong, making it impossible to capture any footage safely. Not the best start, but I wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet.

Exploring Historic Churches

Next, we headed off to explore a series of beautiful churches scattered across the area. A brief lull in the wind gave us a small window to try again with the drone. I managed to get it up in the air, but it wasn’t happy—getting tossed around like a kite in a storm! We only captured a bit of footage before bringing it back down.

Luckily, I had my camera at the ready, so the day wasn’t a total wash. I managed to take some great shots at several churches, including those in East Layton, Gilling West, Melsonby, Stanwick, and Forcett. These locations have such rich history and beautiful architecture—I’m really looking forward to editing these images over the next few days. With the weather forecast looking a bit grim, it’s the perfect excuse to stay indoors and dive into some editing.

A Hidden Gem: The Stanwick Deer Shelter

While photographing the church in Stanwick, something interesting caught our eye—a curious hexagonal building sitting in the middle of a field. Intrigued, we crossed the field to get a closer look. It turned out to be a deer shelter, dating all the way back to 1842. Despite the wind, I was able to get the drone up safely here to capture a few aerial shots of this unique structure.

This little discovery is part of the larger Stanwick Fortifications, a site rich with history that stretches back to the Iron Age. We also took some time to visit the nearby Stanwick Camp Iron Age Fortifications, capturing some more ground-level shots. The history in this area is absolutely fascinating—I’m excited to share more about it once I’ve had a chance to research and process all the photos.

Final Stops Near Bishop Auckland

On our way back, we made a few more stops at some very different, but equally interesting, locations near Bishop Auckland. These included The Brusselton Incline, St Andrew's Church, and the Thomas Wright Observatory. We’ve filmed these spots from the air before, so it was great to revisit them with the camera and capture some fresh perspectives from the ground.

Looking Ahead: A Busy Few Days Indoors

All in all, it’s been a day full of unexpected challenges and rewarding discoveries. I’ve got a mountain of footage and images to sort through, which should keep me busy while the weather forces me indoors. I can’t wait to share the finished results with you all!

Stay tuned for more, and as always, thanks for following along on these adventures.