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 2025
Panelled door, Saltaire, World Heritage Site, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Green Door of Saltaire United Reformed Church, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Gates archway and door, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Panelled door and impressive door surround of Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Inside doors in Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Grandfather clock and glass pendulum door, Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England May 2025
Inside 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 2026
Porched blue door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
White door with rickety awning, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
White door with rickety awning and statue bay above, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Classic blue short and wide Cornish Cottage door with lintel, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Archway and four panel glass and iron door, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026
Blue door with portico, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026
Large archway gate, Quay Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026
White door and pink woodwork at The Little Ice Cream Shop, The Parade, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, October 2026
The 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 2026
Door on harbour building, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Charlestown harbour, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside cottages and doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
China clay chute, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Note on quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Dovecote with countless doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside stable door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside doors and doves, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Dove entrances on quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
This 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.
Doors 358 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part IX), Castle doors – April 2025
This selection of doors focuses in on Shrewsbury Castle, which sits at the northern part of the town at the neck of a loop in the River Severn, affording it the optimum strategic defensive position, with the river providing a natural defence from attack.
Location of Shrewsbury Castle. Google Maps
For interest, here is a short AI generated summary of Shrewsbury Castle:
Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone fortress that stands on a hill overlooking the town and the River Severn. Originally built by the Normans in the late 11th century, it combines medieval military architecture with later Georgian modifications, giving it a distinctive appearance. Its thick masonry walls, irregular layout, and commanding position reflect its defensive purpose, while later restorations introduced more refined architectural details that softened its fortress-like character.
The castle’s doors are notable examples of how architecture balanced security and access. Medieval entranceways were designed with heavy timber doors reinforced by ironwork, often set within deep stone arches that strengthened the gateway and made forced entry more difficult. These robust doorways, framed by red sandstone and defensive features, remain important architectural elements that highlight the castle’s military origins and craftsmanship.
And now on to the doors:
16th century Castle Gates House, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Front door of Castle Gates House, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Entrance gateway and door to Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Highly decorated door to Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Steps and door to Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Section of castle wall of Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Studded door in the castle wall, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Castle door marked private, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Weathered door in the castle wall, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Ghost door in the castle wall, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Door of the information kiosk, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025
I was fortunate enough to walk around the castle very early in the morning, and I was the only person in the grounds, it felt like a private viewing. That’s it for this week. More from Shrewsbury 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 358 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part VIII) – April 2025 (and August 2025)
Quite unsurprisingly, this week I continue with doors from Shrewsbury, which I have to say has been a joy of doors. It is not every town centre that has so much to offer in terms of interesting doors, but in Shrewsbury they are absolutely everywhere. The rich history of the town is reflected in them.
This selection mostly features town house doors, some of which I think are quite amazing, the light blue ones in particular. Most were photographed in April 2025, but some on a return visit in August 2025. I hope you enjoy the selection.
Timber-framed Tudor house with studded door, Council House Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Stunning entrance and doorway, Council House Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Timber-framed Tudor house over gateway, Council House Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Studded basement door, Council House Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, August 2025Double fronted shop windows either side of a gated door, Castle Gate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Beautiful old studded door and timber door frame, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Double handled panelled door and timber door frame, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Wonderful light blue double door and stained glass windows, School Gardens, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Studded light blue door, School Gardens, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Grand red door and stained glass window above, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025
I think that there are about three more selections from Shrewsbury before I turn my attention to something different – I do apologise for this long series, but it was way too difficult to discard doors to favour brevity. May I wish you a happy weekend.
Until next time, see ya.
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 