Road Trip 6 Alnwick Gardens- Water
Want to go inside these C16 Italian gates which the 4th Duke of Northuberland brought back from Venice in 1871?
Come on then! The Grand Cascade is just starting. It is the largest water feature of its kind in the country.
We walk under these swallows (Hirundo rustica)
Wow! What a sight!
To our right is a bamboo maze.
Let’s explore.
The centre.
The path out of the maze leads us round the edge of the walled rose garden. Mid May is a bit early to see this area in its glory.
What a wonderful seating area.
What a grand (possibly Elizabethan) entrance for the gardeners.
This blackbird Turdus merula was singing so sweetly.
I can just imagine how the roses would look and smell in Summer.
This statue was unusual.
With a fox at the top.
We walk on to the Serpentine Garden.
It is full of fascinating water sculptures.
Meniscus
“This sculpture shows a meniscus, which is the convex surface of the water at the top of the sculpture. A meniscus is created because the water molecules on the surface stick together to make an invisible skin, this skin is called surface tension. Some insects, like water striders can walk on water because the water tension is strong enough to hold their weight.”
Torricelli
“This sculpture shows water under hydrostatic pressure, which fascinated the C17th Itlaian physicist, philosopher and mathematician Evangensta Torricelli. This is the pressure which comes from the head or the distance between the surface of the water and the point below, regardless of the volume of water.
A pool on high ground overlooking the Serpent Garden overflows to fill up the sculpture below through underground pipework.
The water rises in the transparent tubes until it is level with the surface of the nearby pool, representing the head of water that has been reached.
A pneumatically powered value below the ground opens to release the hydro-statically charged water into the circular manifold which charges 90 jets that leap vertically up and then gradually subside in unison with the dropping levels visible in the transparent tubes.
When these jets have all but died the valve closes allowing the system to fill up again, and the cycle to continue.”
Coanda
This sculpture shows the coanda effect which makes water cling to the underside of smooth overhanging surfaces, appearing to defy gravity. The coanda effect was discovered by Henri Coanda, a famous aeronautical engineer who went on to develop a flying saucer. He studied sculpture with Rodin and engineering with Alexandre Eiffel.”
Waterglass
“This sculpture shows a single curtain in the form of a transparent, clear unbroken membrane of falling water wrapping round a circular enclosure that can be entered and experienced from within, the outer views seen though the film of water. When there is no wind the film can be as clear as glass. The flutter effect at the foot of the curtain is a cyclic phenomenon caused by a difference in pressure on each side of the water which causes it to suck to and fro.”
Reflection
“This sculpture shows a reflection. Reflection both extends and compresses space and depth becomes unpredictable. Here it transforms a hemisphere into a sphere. The mirror-like hemisphere reflects the colours around it, the greens of the hornbeam and the blues, whites and greys of the sky. “
Canyon
“This sculpture shows water creating rollwave patterning as the thin film flows down its smooth surfaces. Surface tension pulls the water into these rhythmical patterns, surface tensions happens when the water molecules on the surface stick to each other. A canyon is a narrow steep sided valley, like the space in the middle of this sculpture.”
Let us leave the Serpentine Garden and walk under the hornbeam tunnel,
And up the sides of the Grand Cascade to find this spiral of stones in a pool.
Little rills of river washed pebbles run down the slope.
You can see the angle in this picture from the hornbeam path.
The other side is a mirror image.
The fountain which feeds the 2 rills (one on either side).
View from the top of the Grand Cascade. So far we have explored the area to the left.
Grand Cascade from below. We will explore the area through the arches at the top of the next picture in the next blog post of the Road Trip.
The patterns of water are ever changing.
One last look.
The next theme is earth.
I think this wheel barrow would go perfectly with my handbag.
Posted in Travels by House Elf with 4 comments.