Having had a look at the fine modern bridge in Castleford the week before, I decided to head out that way again last week, just a little further downstream on the River Aire, to have a look at the famous Ferrybridge Power Station, particularly as it’s due to close soon.

I took the train to nearby Knottingley, where it’s possible to pick up the path along part of the Aire and Calder Navigation, running parallel with the river – so there are options to photograph the looming cooling towers reflected in the river (above) or along the canal itself.

At the Knottingley end of the path there’s a nice wide part of the river just above a weir which works very well.  Further along the path toward Ferrybridge, reflections in the canal become available which work particularly well at Ferrybridge lock.

A little further back along the towpath the silhouette of a factory on the other side of the canal added nicely to the industrial landscape as the sun set, illuminating the clouds and steam from the power station.

Finally, back at the bank of the River Aire at Knottingley, I set up for some long exposures as the sun sank below the horizon. The cooling towers silhouetted nicely against the deep blue twilight sky, but as the sky got darker the lights at the power station cast a slight glow on the towers which worked nicely for my final shot (featured image, top).