I have once again found myself very short of time, which is likely to be the case until I go on holiday in mid-September. The upshot… another post of previously published photographs from the street art side of my blog that feature doors, often in the loosest possible interpretation or squeezed to the side of a photograph as an incidental door, but doors nonetheless. Hope you enjoy this selection of doors that first appeared on Natural Adventures in June – August last year:
Ejits, Hannover Place, Bristol, June 2025Nina Raines, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2025Rowdy, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, June 2025Nice One, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2025Jimmer Wilmott, Knowle West, Bristol, July 2025Squarms, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2025Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025Scrapyardspec, Purdown, Bristol, July 2025
So that’s it for this week – I’ll try and find some time to get a bit more organised for next week – I have some greart doors lined up, but not quite ready to go. Have a great weekend when it comes.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Doors 368 – Doors of Saltaire, Part III – May 2025
So to the last of three posts from a very happy day in Saltaire in May last year. This selection contains residential doors and buildings that show a great insight into organised social hierarchical housing. I have mentioned in previous posts that Saltaire village was built from scratch by the Salt family, the local textile mill owners who dominated local society with their employment of workers and their immense wealth. I used AI to provide a couple of paragraphs about the architecture of the residences in the village:
When Sir Titus Salt began building Saltaire in 1851, he was not simply providing homes for his workers but creating an entire model community. Salts Mill opened in 1853, and house building continued through the 1850s and 1860s, with the village largely complete by 1871. Designed by Lockwood and Mawson, the houses varied in size and character according to the social position of their occupants. Ordinary workers lived in the long, simple terraces, while overseers and managers occupied larger houses, often with gardens. At the top of the hierarchy were the grandest homes, including larger semi-detached properties with more generous plots.
That hierarchy can still be read in the architecture, particularly in the doors. The workers’ houses, many dating from the 1850s, generally have simple, restrained entrances, while the larger and more prestigious houses have wider frontages and more elaborate doorways, with arched openings, stone surrounds and decorative detailing. The doorway was therefore more than a means of getting inside: it formed part of a visual language of status. Walking through Saltaire today, the changing scale and decoration of its doors offer a surprisingly clear glimpse of the social structure of Titus Salt’s Victorian community.
And now the doors:
White, blue and red doors in a terrace, Titus Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Large red door and window above in end of terrace dwelling, Titus Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Green door in a larger house, George Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Mint green door, George Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Three storey building and green door, George Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Pink door and gate, George Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Raised blue door (two storey terrace) and slightly more fancy black door and surround (three storey end of terrace), George Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025
It would seem that the Salt family had a grip on their workers, and while providing housing and amenities and facilities in the village, one could never realistically leave the grip of the mill, and workers were ‘owned’ for their lifetime. The model village was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of this social structure centred around the mill and its owners.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
A couple of weeks back I posted some doors from Saltaire which I photographed during a work trip to celebrate the declaration of a new National Nature Reserve (Bradford Pennine Gateway NNR) in May 2025. This week’s selection of doors features some of the residences of Saltaire and the old tramway up to Shipley Glen on the north side of the River Aire.
I will explain a little bit more about the hierarchies linked to the houses that were built by the Salt family for workers in the textile mill in the next and final post from this remarkable village. I hope you enjoy this week’s selection:
Black and blue doors in a terrace of houses, William Henry Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Black door, William Henry Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Staggered yellow and green doors, William Henry Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Red door, William Henry Street, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Back alleyway doors, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025
The next two pictures are from the Shipley Glen Tramway and I asked AI to help me with a short potted history of the tramway, which is as follows:
The Shipley Glen Tramway is a historic cable-hauled funicular in West Yorkshire, opened in May 1895 by local entrepreneur Sam Wilson to carry visitors up the steep hillside to the popular attractions at Shipley Glen, including a fairground and wooden toboggan ride. Originally powered by a gas engine, the twin-track, narrow-gauge tramway carried passengers in open-sided cars and quickly became a much-loved part of the area’s Victorian leisure scene.
It was converted to electric power in 1920 and, despite periods of closure and changing fortunes, has survived remarkably intact. Today the tramway is preserved and operated by volunteers on behalf of the Shipley Glen Tramway Preservation Company, continuing to carry visitors up the wooded hillside and standing as one of Britain’s oldest working funicular railways.
Shipley Glen Tramway tram, Shipley, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025Shipley Glen Tramway top station entrance gateway, Shipley, West Yorkshire, England, May 2025
And at the top of the tramway is part of the Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve.
Shipley Glen, Bradford Pennine Gateway NNR, West Yorkshire, May 2025
That’s probably enough Yorkshire culture for one day. The final part from Saltaire follows next week, until then, have a lovely weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
I am perilously short of time this morning – I have been away with work for a couple of days, and come back to several emergencies (work-related) that I have to deal with added to the fact that the rest of my team are all on leave.
So, as some of you will know, in these circumstances I dig out some street art doors that will have appeared on Natural Adventures before in the street art category. These doors first appeared in April and May 2025:
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, April 2025Hemper, The Carriageworks, Bristol, April 2025Tian, East Street, Bristol, April 2025Coloquix, Kitchen Street, Liverpool, March 2025Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025Hazard, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2025Nice One, Stapleton Road, Bristol, April 2025
Although the above piece is not on or near a door, it does have a door on the vehicle!
Tian, East Street, Bristol, April 2025
So that’s it for another week. I hope to resume with Saltaire doors next time.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
My job takes me round the country from time to time, and in May 2025, I was lucky enough to be present at the launch of a new National Nature Reserve (Bradford Pennine Gateway NNR), which was celebrated in Saltaire. Saltaire is an incredible model village that had been completely off my radar. It is a World Heritage Site and was purpose built as a village for workers at the nearby mill – here’s more from an AI trawl:
Saltaire is a Victorian model village in West Yorkshire, founded in 1851 by the textile manufacturer Sir Titus Salt to provide high-quality housing and amenities for the workers at his nearby textile mill. Designed with wide streets, solid stone buildings and impressive public spaces, the village reflected progressive ideas about industrial living and has remained remarkably well-preserved.
Today, Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its outstanding industrial heritage and architectural significance. Its distinctive stone terraces, original features and carefully maintained historic buildings make it a popular destination for visitors and a valuable example of Victorian craftsmanship, where traditional details, including many original and sympathetically restored doors, continue to contribute to the village’s unique character.
This week’s doors are primarily from the civic buildings in the village, I hope you enjoy them:
Panelled door, Saltaire, World Heritage Site, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Panelled door, Saltaire, World Heritage Site, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Green Door of Saltaire United Reformed Church, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Gates archway and door, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Panelled door and impressive door surround of Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Inside doors in Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Grandfather clock and glass pendulum door, Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025Inside doors in Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
That’s yer lot this week, but I’ll be posting more doors from this incredible town next time. Enjoy your weekend, when it comes.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Today’s doors are the remaining doors photographed during my annual sea fishing trip with my great friend Andy last October. They were taken from a few different places, but reflect the style and nature of typically Cornish doors – so different from Shrewsbury doors, for example. Enjoy:
Tunnel entrance, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Porched blue door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026White door with rickety awning, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026White door with rickety awning and statue bay above, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Classic blue short and wide Cornish Cottage door with lintel, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Archway and four panel glass and iron door, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026Blue door with portico, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026Large archway gate, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026White door and pink woodwork at The Little Ice Cream Shop, The Parade, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026The Old Post Office door, Gorran Churchtown, Cornwall, October 2026
That’s it from Cornwall for a while (I might get some more doors this Ocober). I’ll be digging out something a little different from my door folders next time. In the meantime may I wish you a great weekend and some rain if you live in England/France/Spain.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Doors 363 – Doors of Charlestown, Cornwall – October 2025
Some of you may know that this beautiful little harbour village featured regularly in the 2015-2019 series of Poldark, but that is only a modern chapter in the history of Charlestown. An AI assembled potted history is as follows:
Charlestown, on the south coast of Cornwall, was developed in the late 18th century by local landowner and entrepreneur Charles Rashleigh, who transformed the small fishing village of West Polmear into a thriving port to export copper and china clay from Cornwall’s booming mining industry. Named after Rashleigh himself, the harbour was completed in the 1790s and quickly became an important centre for maritime trade, with tall sailing ships carrying cargo across Europe and beyond. Although commercial shipping declined during the 20th century, Charlestown’s remarkably well-preserved Georgian harbour and historic waterfront have survived largely unchanged. Today, the village is a popular visitor destination, celebrated for its maritime heritage, traditional tall ships, and appearances as a filming location in numerous television dramas and films.
I visited the village in October last year, for the first time, while on a fishing trip with my great friend Andy. Coincidentally, I visited again this May with work, and it was a real pleasure to soak in its unique and gentle atmosphere. Here are some doors from my original visit:
Charlestown Chapel entrance, Charlestown Road, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Door on harbour building, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Charlestown harbour, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Quayside cottages and doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026China clay chute, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Note on quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Dovecote with countless doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Quayside stable door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Quayside doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Quayside doors and doves, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026Dove entrances on quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026This looks like a shed panel with a door has been placed over an entrance in the quayside building, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Charlestown, although reputed to be busy during the tourist season, is a sleepy, calm place with a rich legacy in Cornwall’s mining heritage. Well worth a visit (out of season). More from Cornwall next time.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Doors 362 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part XII) – August 2025
This is the twelfth and final selection of doors from two visits I made to Shrewsbury in April and August last year. I had been up there with work, preparing for the declaration of a new National Nature Reserve a few miles south of the town. I am fortunate that my work occasionally takes me to different parts of England, and I usually make the most of my visits.
Writing this post is a particularly welcome distraction after England lost to Argentina in the World Cup last night. If I am honest, I think that England did really well to reach the semi-final, but have probably reached their level at this tournament, and can return home pleased with the job they have done.
These doors are a bit of a mixture, photographed on my final walk back to the station to head home back to Bristol. As always, I hope you enjoy them.
Blue door with stained-glass windows and transom and a pair of bay trees, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026Matching blue doors, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026Door of Old Church of St Chad, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026Door of Old Church of St Chad, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026
This medieval collegiate church collapsed in 1788 and was largely demolished. All that remains today are the 12th-century chancel and south transept walls, and the late-15th-century Lady Chapel.
The Golden Cross, Princess Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026Plaque on the side of The Golden Cross, Princess Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026The Old Market, The Square, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026Ghost door on The Old Market, The Square, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026
A plaque on the side of The Market Hall read:
Built by the town of Shrewsbury in 1595-1596. The ground floor was used as the corn market. The upper room was used by the Shrewsbury Drapers for the purchase of woollen cloths brought on ponies from North Wales.Doors on a station building, Shrewsbury station, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2026
So au revoir Shrewsbury. What a delight you turned out to be. Next time I’ll be moving onto something new. Until then may I wish you a happy weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Doors 361 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part XI) – August 2025
I expect you’ll be relieved to hear, and indeed I am quite excited, that this is the penultimate Thursday Doors post featuring doors of Shrewsbury. What a town! So many doors in so many styles, it would have been a crime not to share them, however I am looking forward to moving on to something fresh.
This week’s selection is made up mostly of town house doors of the English Baroque, Georgian and Victorian eras, and rather beautiful some of them are too. I hope you enjoy them.
Shop front with a yellow door in the window, High Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Gateway leading to a fine blue door with portico, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Red door and delightful mural depicting a passageway which was probably there and is now a ghost doorway, Belmont Bank, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Steps up to a green door (notice the sky murals above), Belmont Bank, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Through a gate to a blue door with portico, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Red door with grip handles either side, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Stripped and varnished door and awning, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Panelled double archway doors, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Grand steps leading up to a statement blue front door, Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025
I have a favourite in this selection, but rather than make you guess, I’ll tell you it is the red door with the mural next to it (quelle surprise!).
May I wish you all a very happy weekend when it comes round.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Doors 360 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part X) – August 2025
This week I return to Shrewsbury, with a few more doors from this fascinating town near the Welsh border. The doors this week are mostly town house doors which show off the range of styles and periods beautifully. What I love about this series is that it feels like every single door is quite different from the next and that the variety is everlasting. Most of the doors in this series were photographed in April last year, but this selection was from a return visit I made in August. I hope you enjoy this selection.
Blower’s Repositary gateway and door, Castlegate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Black door and chair, Windsor Place, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Perches House and ‘well-used’ black door, Windsor Place, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Blue gate door to St Mary’s Church Hall, St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Grand doorway and door to the Nurses Home (1910), St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Beautiful green door, steps and lamp, St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Blue door, steps and plant pots, St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Ghost door and slim window, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Fancy portico with columns and huge front door, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Recessed timber-framed house and large door, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Close up of studded unpainted door and timber frame – note the letterbox in sited in the brickwork to the right of the door, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026
I really like that last door, there is so much history there, including three brass doorbells – what stories that door could tell. Well, that’s yer lot for another week. I hope you have a great weekend, and if you’re into that sort of thing, I hope you are enjoying the football World Cup.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
Natural adventures 