A key part of my PhD research is looking at the landscapes of Wharfedale and Washburndale through the lens of JMW Turner. Turner spent quite a lot of time at Farnley Hall just outside of Otley, between about 1808 and 1825 when his patron, Walter Fawkes, died. The result is quite a few pencil sketches and watercolours that depict scenes in my local area. On a bike ride today I went down to Lindley Bridge, which I know Turner featured in a few paintings to try to get a look at what Turner might have seen. The picture I was able to take is from pretty much the same spot that Turner may have stood. On a path to the south side of the Washburn through a gate – a gate and path clearly visible in Turner’s watercolour. Sadly, no view of Lindley Hall due to the trees. It would be interesting to fly a drone from here to see how high it would need to get for Lindley Hall to come into view. Anyway, quite exciting to think I was standing where Turner stood over 200 years ago. I was also struck by how little, at least on the surface, the landscape appears to have changed. It is still very green, there are lots of trees and hedgerows, fields full of cows and sheep, even a trailer for transporting hay bales sitting in a field. As far as I know the gates into Farnley Hall may well be the very same ones through which Turner wandered on his way to Lindley Bridge.