Any ideas where this was painted?

[KarenM]

Hi there,

This is a painting of a watercolour that we have and I would like to try and find out where it may have been painted. It was done sometime prior to 1909.  There is no writing on it at all.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Karen

[lizdb]

I'll kick off with my observations. The view is from land, and there is land the other side - so that would suggest a lake rather than sea.

A  mountainous area- with the mountains going right down to the lakeside.

Immediate thoughts are therefore Lake District, WAles or Scotland.

Not much help!!!!!

[Bee]

I would suggest a wide river rather than a lake, as I don't think that you would find that sort of shipping on a lake. other than that not much help.

[KarenM]

Hi Liz,

That's a huge help.  Sitting here on the other side of the pond, I would not even know where to begin.  I have confirmed two other paintings are of Tintern Abbey and Conwy Castle which are in Wales.

What about the boats, what time period are they from?  Any ideas?

Karen

[Little Nell]

I would say a tidal river somewhere from the shipping.  Also the rather lopsided boat in the middle distance - looks like it has either run aground or moored too far up river and the tide has gone out!

Given the rather romantic view some of our ancestors had of the country-side (the "mountains" always look more mountainous than the hills they really are), I wonder if it is somewhere in Devon or Cornwall - south coast. The trees look more like those found in southern Britain, but I could be wrong.  I'm not that familiar with the coasts of Wales and I don't think it is Scotland - not mountainous enough!

Nell

[lizdb]

Yes, Bee, you're right, the shipping does look grand for a lake. But the land layout (mountains right to the edge) doesnt look right for a flowing river. How about an estuary?  Or a BIG lake?

[kmo]

Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire?

[uk2003]

The boats look like single sail barges, they seem to be to low in the water to be big ocean sailing ships.

I based the barges theory on the people in the picture. Am I right in thinking that the empty hull to the right has a person standing up in it, also the people in the row boats.

Well thats my 2 pennies worth

Ken

[jinks]

It looks similar... to Aberdovey/Aberwystwyth
in north Wales. Think it is an Estuary

Jinks

www.davenewbould.co.uk

may give you some idea of the terrain