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Check out my Gravel Pit


There is a gravel pit in the vicinity of my town that really is a magical place. It is a hidden gem attracting many people and at the same to repelling some. Why is it hidden? It is hidden because it used to be a gravel pit of a local company where they dug out a lot of gravel for local builders and road makers and they have abandoned it quite silently. They still control it in a way as there is a fence around the part of the pit and the gates are sometimes padlocked. There is still all the machinery there from the metal conveyor belts that were used to transport the gravel from the water, to the platform in the middle of the pit that was used to control all the conveyors and cranes. All these machinery gives the place a surreal feeling which is appealing to some and frightening to others.

The first group of people attracted to the pit are fishermen. They come to catch carps, pikes and catfish I suppose. Don’t take my word for the fish types as I am not an expert in fishing. The fishermen kind of own the pit as they were the first to “discover” it after being abandoned. So if you happen to occupy a spot that belongs to a certain fisherman you can get some strange looks but nothing a friendly word or two can’t fix. They are there to relax and that is it.

The next group of visitors are wild campers that occupy the pit in the warm months of the year here meaning from May to September. They usually stay for a night or two, some maybe for a week. As the place is ideal for a picnic which can drag well into the night it is better to sleep over than head home in a state not suitable for commuting.

Then we have people trying to cool down in the blazing hot months. They are swimmers and dippers who want to swim in the “open” water or just people trying to get away from the noise and hassle of everyday life. These usually mix their activity with the rest of options offered by the pit namely picnicking, relaxing in the shade, dive from the crane, …

We cannot forget about the hikers, runners and dog walkers. They usually just use the path around the pit and sometimes combine it with other activities on offer.

Then there’s me. I come to the pit alone or with my family. My reason is to breath in fresh energy and of course to take a photo or two as it is a fascinating place for sure, especially interesting because of the surreal atmosphere.

Don’t get me wrong when a write about all those people, as it doesn’t mean that it is crowded there. Usually you will find a couple of people there. In the “high” season maybe twenty to thirty.

Enjoy the photos …


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