As per the last few years, 2019 saw no urbex and a continuing focus on the industrial and urban landscape. After several years of waiting for a drone with the spec I wanted at the right price I finally took the plunge and bought a DJI Mavic Pro 2 and it’s seen a bit of use but I’m still getting my head round how to best use it in my photography.

Scammell Routeman – February 2019

I’d found this on one of my regular rummages on geograph.org.uk and as Bacup isn’t too far from me I went for a look. Not much to see really but I thought it made an interesting photographic subject!

Cononley Lead Mine – May 2019

Hotspur Press – May / June 2019

I’d been aware of this place for years as I’ve passed it on the train countless times but had never got round to having a look. It’s been well photographed over the years, but they are mainly variations of the same photographs. So I parked on the adjacent multi storey car park and took a photograph looking down on it for a completely different perspective.

English Steel – June 2019

I’d seen a photograph of this on Flickr and it took some tracking down but I eventually found where it was. Not much to see and it’s not difficult to photograph but it was a scene that intrigued me!

Brent Bravo – July 2019

A revisit to the north east coincided with the recent arrival of Brent Bravo at Able UK in Seaton Carew. Unlike Brent Delta (which had been reduced to a gigantic pile of scrap) which I photographed in 2018 after demolition had started, Bravo wad intact although I suspect that won’t be the case by the time you read this!

Redcar Steel – July 2019

Just across the Tees from Seaton Carew is the Redcar blast furnace (although it’s about a 30 minute drive), so I made what may be my last visit here. I wanted to use my drone to get some aerial shots, but had to be careful as the no-fly zone for the Hartlepool nuclear power station runs right through the middle of the site. I wasn’t expecting an RAF Typhoon to blast it out of the sky if I infringed, but there seems to be a lot of sensitivity around drones at the moment, especially after the Heathrow Airport debacle, so I stayed safe and didn’t take any risks.

Vernon Carus – July / August 2019

My final few visits to this mill that I’d watched decline since it closed in 2006. It was one of the first places I photographed after I got my drone as it’s just up the road, and gave me the opportunity to experiment with different compositions,

Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station – December 2019

My last photographs of the decade! By the time you read this the power station will be ready to close, so it seems appropriate to close the decade with these!