River, Abbey, Pylons

Kirkstall is a very interesting area of Leeds, if you spend the time to look around.

This is where the river aire flows into the city though a mish mash of old industry, reclaimed nature reserves, and of course the Abbey, once the true gateway to Leeds.

On the Kirkstall Road side, the river is hidden in many places, but if you know the paths and tracks there are many little spots you can find. I explored some of these with the aim of getting some nice river shots like these.

The Abbey dates from the 12th century, and obviously now is in ruin, but the main structure is accessible. I took these shots from the park outside and within the cloister.

Kirkstall is also home to a large substation (the original power station having been demolished in the 1970s and the land developed into nature reserves). The Substation supplies much of North Leeds and the valley is strewn with pylons. These provided some interesting material to play with the Lensbaby.