Elswyth

Photographs and Stories by Kate Coldrick | Woodbury, Devon

Elswyth by Kate Coldrick
Kate Coldrick — photographer and writer based in Woodbury, Devon

  • Tick Tock, Tick Tock

    From Elswyth, a collection attentive to the mechanisms of time and memory.

    In the church at Beer, Devon, the old clock’s gears and ropes still hold the pulse of centuries – iron worn smooth by motion, echoing through the tower with each measured turn. I’m fascinated by the poetry of function here – how the work of keeping time becomes a kind of music, steady and unspoken.  

    Counting down time in the church at Beer, Devon by Kate Coldrick

    Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock – the clock struck one …. the mouse ran down. Hickory dickory dock – tick tock, tick tock …….

    Words and images © Kate Coldrick – part of the Elswyth collection.

  • St Nicholas in Truro Cathedral

    From Elswyth, a series exploring the ways stories are carved into stone.

    In Truro Cathedral, the figure of St Nicholas stands watch – patron of sailors, children, and travellers, his legend retold here in sculptured folds and careful detail. I’m drawn to how devotion becomes material – how the sculptor’s hand transforms a miracle into texture, shadow, and line, holding faith still across the centuries.

    St Nicholas in Truro Cathedral by Kate Coldrick
    St Nicholas in Truro Cathedral by Kate Coldrick

    Stories in stone – a tale from the 14th century of three boys restored to life by St Nicholas.

    Words and images © Kate Coldrick – part of the Elswyth collection.

  • Standing Stones on Gray Hill

    From Elswyth, my record of landscapes shaped by memory and ritual.

    On Gray Hill, above the Severn estuary, the standing stones rise through bracken and wind – anchors of time in a changing light. The endurance of such places shows how touch, weather, and story converge, reminding us that history here is felt more than told.

    Standing Stones on Gray Hill by Kate Coldrick
    Standing Stones on Gray Hill by Kate Coldrick
    Standing Stones on Gray Hill by Kate Coldrick
    Standing Stones on Gray Hill by Kate Coldrick

    Four thousand years of hands touching these stones, of feet walking the perimeter of the stone circle, of eyes looking outwards from the top of the hill towards the Severn estuary.

    Words and images © Kate Coldrick – part of the Elswyth collection.