Welcome

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I'm an architectural photographer. I travel around Britain recording and interacting with special places that have a spirit about them. I work from my camper van called Woody and I share my experiences via this digest.

⚡️Read more about how the Genius Loci Digest came about.

⚡️ Missed the last digest? Here it is.

⚡️ View the digest archive here.

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Members' Area

There is a new re-designed Members' Area at the bottom of this digest which gives supplementary content to this digest and links to new content.


Photo-hoard

The 16th Century Old Wool Hall on the corner of Water and Lady Street in Lavenham, Suffolk, England, UK.


Words
There are certain places, conjunctions of line and contour, where thoughts settle and cohere.

Richard Skelton - Beyond the Fell Wall


Observations

#churchex

Many years ago, after spending some time photographing some of the churches for the Churches Conservation Trust, I started to come up with some graphic designs to help engage others with the idea of exploring the material culture in our churches. They were never used - but they still have a message.

I thought I'd share them with you - so here they are:


Can you help keep Woody on the road?

It takes a day a week to produce this digest. With your support, I’m able to keep this digest free and public facing.

Support this digest and get access to a world of immersive content. Click the box below to check out the membership options:

Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Andy Marshall is documenting his travels in his time-travelling camper van 🚐📸🏛

Hotspots

Anglesey

St. Cwyfan

After the joy of Conwy I focus on the task in hand. I've been commissioned to photograph St. Cwyfan's. In Welsh it is known as Eglwys bach y môr - the little church in the sea.

This is a place of transition - between the land and the sea, between heaven and earth and between time and tide. On a quiet sun lit morning, this is a slice of heaven.

I've been given permission to take the van down a single lane track to the beach - so that I can work close to the church.

Transitional places only give themselves up at the last minute, and I'm caught between the excitement of what lies around the corner and keeping my eye on the pot holes on the lane.

I can't explain the joy of working through this place with my camera. As soon as the first image is pocketed, the rest of my time here goes by like a blur. It's as if I'm attached to the building - a living chord full of creative nutrients - guiding me through to the sweet spots.

Inside I work through the brief - but am constantly drawn to the roar of the sea and the howl of the wind outside. I can taste the salty smack of the sea outside

- this is a place that fills the senses.

⚡️Discover More

Map courtesy of OS Maps

St. Cwyfan's is on the south coast of Anglesey - for location see this google map. It is accessible via the coastal footpath.

There is (rather surprisingly) a racing circuit on the promontory adjacent. Best to visit when this isn't in full swing. The church wasn't open to the public during my visit because of its recent conservation. Best check prior to visiting.

Journey's End

View the full journey from Conwy to Anglesey on Polarsteps

Click Here

Vanlife

My Van is my Camera

Being able to get the van (my mobile studio) up close to the site is a real game-changer. I'm able to swap lenses away from the wind and sand. I'm able to take a break and eat a sandwich - re-fuel on the go - without breaking my concentration.

The van is my vantage point - I sit and watch the weather pass  - until a break in the clouds, or a change in wind direction (for the drone).

Having my photo studio and equipment on site cuts down my down time and gives me space to use my imagination.


On My Coffee Table

From the Charo's

Bookmarked
Wakefield restoration work exposes ancient timber frame
The frame uncovered in Wakefield is thought to date back as far as the 1500s.
Glasgow School of Art: cost and pace of rebuild criticised after 2018 fire
Management says Mackintosh building will fully reopen in 2030 as it emphasises scale of task
Anglo-Saxon artefacts feature in new exhibition at Sutton Hoo | The Past
The latest on acquisitions, exhibitions, and key decisions in the UK.
Three Minutes: A Lengthening review – Helena Bonham Carter is profoundly poetic in an astounding documentary
The actor’s meditative voiceover guides viewers through a hugely moving look at a 1938 video clip of a Polish village – before it was decimated by the Holocaust

Film and Sound

From the Twittersphere

This is beautiful - thanks to Steve for sharing and to Wayland for turning up:


Treasure Hoard Gazetteer
Screenshot of Treasure Hoard Gazetteer

Andy Marshall’s Treasure Hoard Gazetteer Map

My Treasure Hoard Map is open to all. It is an evolving enterprise and I’ll be adding more entries as time passes.

View the full map on Google maps

View the full map on Google Earth (recommended)

More on the Treasure Hoard Gazetteer


And Finally...

Become a Member

It takes a day a week to produce this digest. With your support, I’m able to keep this digest free and public facing. 📸🏛🚐

Support this digest and get access to a world of immersive content. Click the box below to check out the membership options:

Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Andy Marshall is documenting his travels in his time-travelling camper van 🚐📸🏛

Gift a Membership

You can gift a membership to somebody else. They will receive an email with a message from you, and instructions on how to activate it. Gift Memberships can last indefinitely or can be limited to 12 months.


Free Memberships

I have a limited number of free memberships available for students studying heritage, tourism, architecture, photography, building conservation, history of art, archaeology. Also students studying the built environment and its impact on mental health and wellbeing. If you'd like to apply, drop me a line with your details.


Members' Area

New Posts and Immersive Content for Members


Member News

New Tier Benefits for Piano Nobile and Palazzo Members

Piano Nobile and Palazzo members can now gift a membership to a person of their choice for free. Check out the relevant Welcome Page below for more details:

Piano Nobile Welcome Page

Palazzo Welcome Page


Twitter Circle

Click here to see all Twitter Circle Posts - choose the ‘latest’ tab.

Are you a member and not in the Twitter Circle? Send me your handle and I’ll add you to it. I’m @fotofacade on twitter.


Member Posts

Extra content about Anglesey

Modern Marvels: Our Lady Star of the Sea, Anglesey
Built in reinforced concrete the nave is shaped to represent an upturned hull. It was designed in 1932 and is strikingly modern in its outlook.
🟨 Treasure Hoard Entry: St Eilian, Llaneilian, Anglesey.
Andy Marshall is documenting his travels in his time-travelling camper van 🚐📸🏛

Extra content about Wales

wales - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest

New Posts

A Year in the Life: 23 Jan 2022
As I walk along the paving, I can hear their bikes whining. Then there’s a shout behind me, but before I get a chance to turn around, I’m subject to an act of simultaneous aggression.
Ex Libris
Cathedrals by Edmund Vale, London: B. T. Batsford Ltd.
Sine Loco - C15th brass eagle lectern, Chipping Campden
Material Culture in Abstract From the sublime to the (supposedly) mundane - our material culture throughout the British Isles is a palimpsest of artefacts that reflect our endeavour to create beautiful things from every material at hand. This post records our material culture in abstract. MEMBERS…
Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest - 20 Jan 2023
It’s whilst seeking out a good Danish that I’m at my most vulnerable - have been nearly run over a couple of times whilst transfixed by a shop window full of pastries.

From the Archives
Hidden Gem: the delightful bench ends at Morthoe church in VR
Hidden Gem: the delightful bench ends at Morthoe church in VR
Keyword of the Week

Hidden Gem

hidden gem - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Secret destinations, insider knowledge, little delights

Quick Access

Notes for New Members: See here

How this Digest came about:

My Genius Loci Digest Journey
In the late 1990’s I had a breakdown that ultimately led me, through a journey that took me away from depression, to a new career in photography.

Treasure Hoard Index:

🟦 The Treasure Hoard Index
“I share them with the gratitude that, through a strange quirk of career, I’ve had a certain freedom to be able to seek them out and photograph them.”

Free Downloads:

free stuff - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Free downloads for members only

The Comperandum:

comperandum - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
A nod to Banister Fletcher

Ways of Seeing, Mental Health and Wellbeing:

ways of seeing - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
In the late 1990’s I had a breakdown that ultimately led me, through a journey that took me away from depression, to a new career in photography. What made all the grit of the dark days worthwhile was that I was left with something that felt like a pearl - a new way of seeing and interacting with th…

Yew Tree Visitors Guide:

The Ancient Yew - Visitors Guide
The Ancient Yew - Visitors Guide

Wallpaper:

wallpaper collection - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Beautifully curated wallpapers for your device.

Video:

video - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
A growing collection of videos to supplement the digest

Place Writing:

place writing - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
My place writing series brings together all of my writings on place from numerous sources including magazine and newspaper articles, blog, newsletter and digest. Where appropriate, I’ve made revisions, added additional text, information and photographs. It includes new posts too. Place writing art…

Photography:

photography - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
This isn’t a list of the mechanics of photography - but touches more upon the process, the use of light and my experiences with the camera. I’ve found that it’s the experience that counts - and there’s over 30 years of experience diluted into these posts.

Virtual Reality:

virtual reality - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Almost as good as being there...

Hidden Gems:

hidden gem - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Secret destinations, insider knowledge, little delights

Road Trips:

road trip - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
Amazing road trips tried and tested in my camper van - free to all subscribers

A Year in the Life

a year in the life - Andy Marshall’s Genius Loci Digest
A Year in the life of an architectural photographer in his time-travelling camper van.