Lost Village, a photo from Oxfordshire, England

Photographer's Note

It is theorized by scholars that there are more than 2000 deserted villages in Britain, a number of which are in Oxfordshire. Pictured here is St. Oswald's Church, which dates from the early 12th century and was once part of a thriving village called Widford. The church stands virtually alone in a hilly field near the River Windrush, surrounded by a few hummocks denoting ancient buildings. The village, like so many that have disappeared, was wiped out by the Black Death.

Widford comes from an old English word meaning "the ford by the willows." The church itself was built over the remains of a Roman villa and retains some Roman paving in the chancel. St. Oswald's was used fairly recently as a film set for the marriage of Lorna Doone in the television series.

sabyasachi1212, ChrisJ, chrisnet, siolaw, Buin, Floydian, ciec, peter1892, jhm, carper, derric, nwoehnl, Angelillo, weswang, Henryk_Bilor, jmdaoudal, riclopes, imrek, PLD_images, plimrn, jafadabret, Tue, kermit350, rahul__rahul__, bertolucci, quantabeh, Gregtom, cjmm, PJE, Cricri, pablominto, AiresSantos, singuanti, vincent24, elmec, balatrek, lasscor, Owca, uranium, Newair has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

xavshot (69835) 2006-07-22 10:53

Bonsoir John
un joli cadrage de cette йglise qui semble perdue dans ce paysage. Des couleurs bien contrastйes. J'aime beuacoup le vert des arbres et ce petit mur qui amиnene а cette йglise. Beau travail
Xavier

ChrisJ (171888) 2006-07-22 10:55

Hi John

Ilike the carpet of yelloe flowers in the fg setting up a color contrast with the blue sky. Good sharpness & lighting in this superb landscape. Tfs!

chrisnet (23062) 2006-07-22 11:05

Bonjour John,
Cette composition me plait beaucoup.J'aime le ciel chargй ainsi que le joli vert de la prairie,les deux personnages qui se dirigent vers le chemin.
Image buccolique et pittoresque.Trиs bien fait.
Amicalement
Christian

P-S-I-G (25536) 2006-07-22 11:12

Hello John,
Very pleasant shot. I like the sky and the flowers.
Excellent composition with people on the left.
Beautiful scene.
Well done.
Best regards,
Fabrice

siolaw (38294) 2006-07-22 11:13

Hi John,
A nice view of that abandonned church.. Great colors and sharpness, nice bed of yellow flowers in foreground...
A well composed image
Laurent

Floydian (30970) 2006-07-22 11:20

Hi John,
A great and lovely scenery. Adding the two people inside gives it even more drama. I love these old landscapes. It has a great natural depth. And the mayflowers in the foreground bring a lot of life in the green tones...wonderful.
Only thing for that didn't work was the over-exposed cloud, i replaced that one woth some new clouds in a WS...hope you like it.
Regards, Henk

[workshop] [compare] +

Buin (42580) 2006-07-22 11:25

Hallo John!
You show us a wonderful place in the beautiful natural colours of spring. In combination with your note I can imagine that here was human life some hundred years ago. In German we have the word "Wьstung" for such places.
An all around good work!
Greetings from Germany!
Frank

s10001in (0) 2006-07-22 11:28

John ,
Beautiful shot. Great landscape..with ture colors..
Wonderful color of sky...
Presence of LIFE...
Well done.
TFS,
Shailendra

guillaumejm (0) 2006-07-22 11:37

Hello John,
Very nice landscape. Perfect colours, light & sharpness. I like very much the composition. And it's true that your village look abandonned : people must go there walking through the country!.
Best regards
JMarc

peter1892 (1681) 2006-07-22 11:56

Hi John - another succesful shot, the colours are excellent again & the composition is balanced well by having the church off to one side.

Fis2 (170975) 2006-07-22 12:15

Witaj John!
Wonderful landscape, curious sky. I like the light and colours. Very impressive picture.
Regards, nice sunday
Krzysztof

capthaddock (28790) 2006-07-22 12:16

Hi John - very very pleasant scenery, so bucolic, but the impressive clouds steal the show here, great timing.

jhm (211736) 2006-07-22 12:24

Hi John,

A typical English sky with imminent clouds, but a pleasant foreground, without sheeps but with cows in depth, you placing the small church excellent to right. I find lovely the small stone wall around the church totally otherwise than here in Belgium, also the yellow flowers in foreground gives extra colour at the picture.

Have a nice day,
John

carper (96) 2006-07-22 12:25

a very clean shot john,
a very nice landscape, good details, fine balance and a very good quality,the light is good, and the sky is very nice. well seen and good job.
gr. jaap

derric (100) 2006-07-22 14:15 [Comment]

Show Comment

ndb1958 (9289) 2006-07-22 14:18

Hi John,
it looks more like spring than summer with these fresh colours.
The church is very nice and the landscape is beautiful.
Great dramatic sky.
Nino

ebayrakci (244) 2006-07-22 15:00

Very good composition. Colours amazing. I like this photo very much.
Ertugrul.

nwoehnl (122) 2006-07-22 15:07

Beautiful countryside scene and scenery, John, with a lush color palette and a balanced composition of the old church at the right amidst the trees and grassland. What I particularly like is the inclusion of the two people. I don't mind the overexposed cloud, it somehow triggers a story in my head of the two folks walking towards the light. Nice.

Graal (103040) 2006-07-22 16:27

Hi John,
nice landscape and interesting history in note. Good colours and composition. I like it.
Rgs, Aleksander

danyy (0) 2006-07-22 17:55

Bonjour John,
Tu as choisi de photographier un paysage trиs simple mais le rйsultat est intйressant. Tu as capturй unmagnifique ciel qui surplombe une photo bien йquilibrйe sur le plan du cadrage et des lumiиres. Les personnages ajoutent un peu de vie а cette scиne dйsolйe.
Amicalement
Daniel

Angelillo (9374) 2006-07-22 18:23

Hi John. I thin it's very interesting this shot. The important elements are placed in horizontal lines from top to bottom. The light is subtle and balanced. The sky is grea, dramatique and beautiful. Even the horizon line, at the centre, is here good, because I think is a good idea keep this sky, and keep here the yellom line of the flowers. The little people at left, makes human the landscape, and help to feel its magnitude. Very well seen and done! Thanks.

jjcordier (79299) 2006-07-23 1:47

Very pleasant scenery, so bucolic, with an impressive sky. Good composition.
Best regards
JJ

rosaline (0) 2006-07-23 3:31

Hi John
Didn't realise there were so many deserted villages in Britain. The atmosphere you've captured here is very good, though. The composition is nice with the two people walking along the empty landscape. The church is a nice feature too, illustrating the deserted nature of the surroundings. The scenery is lush with good details and cloud patterns that add some impact to the scene. Nice work.
Aubrey

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2006-07-23 3:31

Hi John,
Wonderful landscape and a beautiful old church, just what one would imagine an English countryside to be. This is simply picture perfect.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

feather (51130) 2006-07-23 4:07

Could this be anywhere else but England? It's so typical; even the "can't make its mind up" sky. There's everything in here; the band of yellow - could be dandelions or buttercups: the drystone wall: the lonely stone church: the blossoming hawthorn. Everything is arranged in horizontal layers, with little extras like the farm track, the tired cows and the walkers. Very good work John
Kath

Stepan (27210) 2006-07-23 4:13

Typical view again about England !! It's very well composed with the church, the path, the green-yellox and blue layers, the walkers and even the cow... Very well done in a beautiful sunny light.
Stйphane
PS : I wish I could see my country through your pics !!

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2006-07-23 4:40

Hello John
Beautiful place. Excellent composition withthis little church lost in the field and with the clouds behind it.
I can find at the image the fault of compression which disturbs a little ;).
Have a nice sunday.

jmdaoudal (82) 2006-07-23 5:17

In this whole excelent picture, I see at left hand two typically dressed for rain English gents... Yeah, you found back Sherlock Holmes and Dt Watson. What a good news !
Jean Michel

naxius (16685) 2006-07-23 5:26

Hi John,
Very nice landscape..Clouds and flowers are just perfect..
I like the virtual diagonal that exists between the two persons and the church.
Well done.
Alex

riclopes (35577) 2006-07-23 5:47

Hi John,
Interesting note and good capture of this deserted village, with the lonely church left. The painting on the sky is gorgeous and the landscape is quite attractive. Excellent inclusion of the people at left, which balance well with the church and nice touch of yellow in foreground. It looks like a painting and I like very much the white cloud. I don't agree at all with its removal.
Have a nice sunday,
Ricardo

imrek (4) 2006-07-23 7:37

HI John,
marvellous landscape with great sky, the people add life and motion...well done!!!
best regards,
imre

faubry (35447) 2006-07-23 7:38

hello John, very nice landscape from Great Britain, i am surprised about deserted villages?
beautiful green colors and the little church is very good placed on your picture
thanks
francine

leo61 (0) 2006-07-23 11:20

Hi John!
Beautiful countryside shot.Good composition with the church and the wall leading to the road.Nice colors and I like the yellow blossoms in the foreground.
Regards,leo

gebala (0) 2006-07-23 13:06

hello,

i admire this landscape
I would be lost there
I could be lost there really easy

nice colours
nice point of view
well taken
rgs

plimrn (21344) 2006-07-23 13:38

Hi John,
You've captured wonderful colors: the bluest of skies, the greenest of grass and the yellow flowers. Good framing and DOf with the church on the hillside, the curve of the road, the blooming trees and the clouds. it almost looks like on of the two figures has a coat with tails?? The note is well-written, concise and very interesting; seems like I always ramble on so I admire your ability to say a lot with few words.
Regards, Pat

weswang (18247) 2006-07-23 14:04

Hi John, A nice paint-like shot. I like the way you use the light and the layers of views in this picture. Good to include the road and the persons in this picture to add the life to this quiet and peaceful scene. Well done.

jafadabret (56501) 2006-07-23 14:37

John , c'est une bien belle petite йglise qui a perdu son village et qui se retrouve isolйe dans la verte campagne. La photo est superbe grвce а une belle lumiиre et а un ciel de toute beautй. Fйlicitations !
Jacques

jjbach (9326) 2006-07-23 14:39

Hi John,
Excelent composition with great framing and beautiful colours. The sky and the clouds are also terrific!

Regards John

Tue (92560) 2006-07-23 17:40

Hej John,
An enjoyable view of this landscape, I like the peaceful atmosphere. That little church is well placed in the composition and also the two persons are a nice bonus. The colours are fine too. Good work, thanks for sharing!
Hilsen,
Lars

coco (30439) 2006-07-23 18:28

Hi John.
As nice as wonderful place. The exposure and the light are amazing. You only need enjoy this wonderful sky for undestand me.

Thanks for share.

PixelTerror (0) 2006-07-24 4:14

Hi John,
An interesting Post here that addresses a matter not limited to the UK, in France as well the need to go to the cities to find work emptied big number of villages in rural areas, now there is a little but confirmed trend of people (mostly British and Dutch) buying and renovating these old houses and using them as week end homes or even permanent residences, possibly once Internet allows convenient work from there this revitalization will get even stronger. Nice balanced photo to go along with the note, where I appreciate the pleasant cloudy sky.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

kebek (5438) 2006-07-24 6:57

Serwus John !
Like from a fairy tale - common and banal remark, but what to wrote looking at it ?
Maybe out of this world as we know it?
Fantastic Work. I just understood what You'd meant writing me once about strolling in the fields. Seems You had a lot of opportunities in Britain for some. A wonderful spot, very well balanced with the people on side and charming stony church.
Best wishes,
M.

kermit350 (9016) 2006-07-24 9:49

Hello John, this sight is idyllic and a pleasure for the eyes, that nature is beautiful especially when the photographer is able to perceive and restore similar beauty, and this brightness which bores the clouds is йpoustouflante of beauty, I love also the two characters it y nothing with only saying admired, sincerely

bertolucci (14052) 2006-07-24 12:37

Hi John, what a pleasent rural, maybe even pastoral, view you show us here. I love the atmosphere. The compo is very well planned with the 6 horizontal layers in the field and the two in the sky - an impressively readable pic is the result.
The colours and the light are gorgeous. There's indeed an overexposed spot in the sky but it doesn't distract and I like Norbert's association about it.
Very nicel work. Have a fine week,
Bert

quantabeh (5205) 2006-07-24 13:55

Hi John,
what a precious and beautiful image! The mix of yellows and greens in the foreground is very suitable. but of course the dark clouds are totally something else. A truly beautiful image!
Behrang

blue-velvet30 (6524) 2006-07-24 14:39

Hi John!
WOW! Fantastic clouds and colors. Excellent light, composition and perspective. I like it!
thanks for sharing
regards ;-)
Dorota

Gregtom (7169) 2006-07-24 15:42

Hello, John!
I think, that every thing has been said here... but I must say, that I love such an old churches made of stone, like this one. And I think, that there is not too much places on the Earth besides Great Britain, when You can find so much buildings like this one. Lovely place, lovely atmosphere, and of course a weather, given to You by God, to get a picture like this. Just perfect, John!
regards,
Greg

PJE (20758) 2006-07-24 19:37

Well John I am sure that this scene could represent how life was here many years ago. Too bad about the church not being used anymore. What a picture perfect countryside. Thanks for sharing!

dkeus31 (27739) 2006-07-25 6:01

Hello John,
A nice view with saturated primer colors.
Well composed.
Regards,
Didier

Cricri (176) 2006-07-25 7:09

Bonjour John,
Une composition paisible et de toute beautй,
Belle capture du ciel qui laisse entrevoir une douce lumiйre sur l'ensemble du paysage,
trйs joli avant plan avec ses petites fleurs jaune, belle prйsence de ses deux personnes dans cet endroit solitaire, compliment
amitiйs
cricri

cjmm (4479) 2006-07-25 7:14

Hi John,

The composition, light and colors are simply superb, as is the feeling that the image conveys, it invites to jump in and walk on that field.

(The WS solved the slightly overexposed cloud)

Kind regards,
Carlos

rahul__rahul__ (2250) 2006-07-25 10:28

Hi John
nice picture, I like the clouds in this, the two people add interest and I like the building to the side. I prefer this over the workshop.
Good job
TFS
Rahul

t0mmm1 (5442) 2006-07-25 10:38

Hi John,
this is just perfect (as you usssually do). I like this composition with the church out of the center sourrounded by beautiful colourful nature. At first look I've thought that it might be better to clone out the persons, but after more acurate look I found them of extremely particular interest. And the couple walks just on the part of the picture that is best for the compo. I like that kind of shot.
Have a nice day.
Tomi

markstaples (15670) 2006-07-25 16:02

Hi John
Apologies for not getting back sooner. A beautiful shot of English countryside at its best. Superb sky and beautiful lighting in this well composed image.
Best wishes
Mark

Burberry1 (6041) 2006-07-25 16:14

Excellent, idyllic mood...I've seen it before for real. Beautiful postcard John, thank U and greetings from polish seaside.

A.

anesugur (18789) 2006-07-25 18:42

Hi John,
Magnificent landscape! Good POV, DOF and amazing sky!
Have a nice day.
Best wishes. Uğur

pablominto (53746) 2006-07-26 2:09

Hi John,
As usual a well framed scenery from you!
Super composition, where the elements work well in enhancing each others... Good interest value in the yellow flowers in front!
Dynamics created between the church and the walking guys, the dirt road and the cows are all nice details...
Beautiful sky but a small distraction in that aircraft!
Greetings,
Pablo -

AiresSantos (56155) 2006-07-26 2:35

Bonjour John,
Lovely composition with magnificent colors.
Excellent light, contrast and sharpness.
Very well done my friend

jinju (14265) 2006-07-26 3:48

If the men were a bit clioser that could perhaps improve this shot but not really by much. I like their strangeness, they seem to be like throwbacks to a long gone era, and therefore abit ghostly. And since this village was wiped out, there must be plenty of ghosts there. The view is fantastic, what a gorgeous looking photo.

devimeuxbe (58557) 2006-07-26 6:38

Hi John
nice composition with a great sky. The light is well managed. Congratulations
Bertrand

singuanti (15250) 2006-07-26 23:22

Hi John. Everything sure came together for you with the light, sky and people all there at the same time. The little bit of flowers does give it some color contrast as well which is helpful here.

dsidwell (9783) 2006-07-28 9:17

Hi John. Once again, your placement of the people at far left adds a human element and puts emphasis on what they are seeing. In a way, I kind of put myself into their shoes with their placement. This is a lovely scene with such verdant colors! Your note is also interesting; I had no idea so many villages were abandoned like this.

vincent24 (9060) 2006-07-30 2:09

Hello John,
It really look like a Constable paint!(except the plane line in the sky ;-)The English spring in all its splendour..vivid yellow and green,and walkers and cows to bring somme life in that countryside,
well done,
have a nice week end,
vincent

elmec (12210) 2006-07-30 4:54

Hello John!
This is paradise land!
I like this people on the field walking to the church!
Perfect done!
Congratulations!
Best regards!

Ann75 (0) 2006-07-30 22:45

Hi John,

How great to capture the yellow flowers in the foreground like that. This composition is amazing with the church, the people walking in the grass, the trees in the background and the beautiful sky above. Fantastic work, John!

Greetings,
Ann

cessy (13647) 2006-07-31 14:55

hi John
the place is very picturesque
and wonderfully captured
beautiful colors and composition

balatrek (7455) 2006-08-02 11:29

Hi Jhon,

Fantastic landscape, gread contrast and beatutiful colours, the sky it is incredible

Excellent work!

Regards

Josй

lasscor (7640) 2006-08-06 16:21

Hi John,
Wonderful landscape.
Great colors, light and pov.
I like much the flowers on the grass, the chirch and the people on your composition.
Nice cloudy blue sky.
TFS,
Corinne

toni_al (15875) 2006-08-09 6:09

Salut John
Marrant ces deux gars qui se promиnent ainsi habillйes en pleine nature, on dirait un autre temps.
Superbe image
Amitiйs
@+ Toni.

Owca (92) 2006-09-14 13:22 [Comment]

Show Comment

uranium (28) 2006-09-14 13:29

Hi John,

Great art,
Love the details!
Goes to my favorite,

Regards,

Ali...

pady (4800) 2006-09-14 13:39

Great composition with these two men on the left and the church on the right.
It's full of interesting details.
Very well seen
Greetings from Pierre-Andrй

gramma (3519) 2006-09-14 15:28

Hello John,

Beautiful landscape. Congratulations !

Christophe

Nordavind (539) 2008-03-22 13:45

wow a fantastic place!!!!!!! great photo
bellissima veramente complimenti

dentaku (15) 2008-03-22 13:55