Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes

by Guest Tue Sep 11, 2018 1:58 pm

If you thought you knew Britain’s landscape, these incredible, unique aerial photographs will give you food for thought.
They have been taken from the Royal Geographical Society’s ‘Britain From The Air’ exhibition - which is part of a wider project called Discovering Britain - and reveal the breath-taking scope of the nation’s geography. Included in the gallery is a train running perilously close to a cliff, hypnotic lines of Merseyside housing, the South Downs in all its glory, the quaintest of villages and grand royal landmarks caught from eye-catching angles.

RGS said: ‘The contemporary images provide a unique perspective of some of the UK’s most striking and thought-provoking landscapes, while the exhibition’s panels explore the dynamic – but often unseen – processes that shape them.’

This inspiring outdoor exhibition is currently on display around Liverpool’s waterfront area, and offers visitors the chance to see Britain as they have never seen it before. If you’re not near Liverpool, you can see all of the exhibition’s images, and discover the geographical stories behind them, on the Discovering Britain website.
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210BC00000578-6154439-A_freight_train_carries_a_heavy_supply_of_potash_and_steel_along-a-93_1536655662992

Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210BC00000578-6154439-A_freight_train_carries_a_heavy_supply_of_potash_and_steel_along-a-93_1536655662992

A freight train carries a heavy supply of potash and steel along the railway track precariously close to the cliff edge at Saltburn in Cleveland. Discovering Britain says that the mined potash is a mixture of salt and potassium chloride, which is sometimes used in food as a healthier alternative to salt
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2121800000578-6154439-The_famous_circular_street_of_The_Circus_in_Bath_Somerset_The_ma-a-94_1536655697640

The rolling green hills of the South Downs in Sussex. Up until very recently, fossil bone fragments unearthed by archaeologists working in a small chalk quarry in Sussex were believed to be the oldest evidence of human-like species to be found in Britain, according to Discovering Britain
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211EC00000578-6154439-The_quaint_rural_English_village_of_Belaugh_in_Norfolk_Thatched_-a-96_1536655775864

The quaint rural English village of Belaugh in Norfolk. Thatched cottages are a quintessential feature of the English village. Discovering Britain says that thatch is the oldest roofing material still in regular use
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2114800000578-6154439-Industrial_Britain_Smoke_billows_out_of_the_large_chimney_at_Cot-a-97_1536655815093

Industrial Britain: Smoke billows out of the large chimney at Cottam Power Station near Retford in Nottinghamshire in a picture that has a certain cold beauty about it. The plant celebrated its 50th birthday earlier this year
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2120400000578-6154439-The_picturesque_market_town_of_Lechlade_on_Thames_Gloucestershir-a-98_1536655856808

The picturesque market town of Lechlade-on-Thames, Gloucestershire. Discovering Britain says around a sixth of Britain’s population lives in the 1,700 or so market towns
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211F900000578-6154439-Sandbanks_a_small_spit_of_land_that_stretches_across_the_mouth_o-a-99_1536655887260

Sandbanks, a small spit of land that stretches across the mouth of Poole harbour in Dorset. Today it is known as ‘millionaire mile’ thanks to the eye-watering property prices in the area
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211F000000578-6154439-Rows_and_rows_of_red_brick_terraced_housing_stand_side_by_side_i-a-100_1536655909878

Rows and rows of red brick terraced housing stand side-by-side in Merseyside. Discovering Britain says they were originally built for the growing lower middle class such as skilled craftsmen and factory foremen
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211E400000578-6154439-The_picturesque_Whitby_Harbour_in_North_Yorkshire_According_to_D-a-101_1536655937238

The picturesque Whitby Harbour in North Yorkshire. According to Discovering Britain, the town is where a young Captain James Cook developed his love of the sea
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211C400000578-6154439-The_sprawling_building_of_the_Bluewater_shopping_centre_in_Kent_-a-102_1536655967411

The sprawling building of the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. When it opened in 1999 it was the largest shopping centre in Europe. Since then, its 330 stores have welcomed more than a quarter of a billion visitors, according to Discovering Britain
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211BB00000578-6154439-The_colourful_roofs_of_the_top_of_the_stalls_of_Chesterfield_Mar-a-103_1536656001334

The colourful roofs of the top of the stalls of Chesterfield Market in Derbyshire. The market has stood on the same spot since 1220 and the market place is the same size and shape as it was 800 years ago
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD211AE00000578-6154439-The_winding_Longleat_Maze_in_Wiltshire_It_has_six_bridges_that_a-a-104_1536656023563

The winding Longleat Maze in Wiltshire. It has six bridges that allow visitors to see the maze from above to appreciate the beauty of its layout and, for those who want an easy option, to plan a way to the middle
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2119F00000578-6154439-The_home_of_English_football_Wembley_is_the_largest_football_sta-a-105_1536656460796

The home of English football, Wembley is the largest football stadium in Britain, with 90,000 seats. Discovering Britain says that if the seats were placed end to end they would stretch for 33 miles, roughly the distance from Liverpool to Manchester
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2119800000578-6154439-An_aerial_view_showing_the_entrance_to_the_Channel_Tunnel_in_Ken-a-106_1536656495327

An aerial view showing the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in Kent linking England with France. According to Discovering Britain, the first proposal for a tunnel under the Channel included an artificial island half-way across for changing horses
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2118C00000578-6154439-Often_cited_as_one_of_the_most_scenic_railway_lines_in_Britain_t-a-107_1536656526647

Often cited as one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, the single-track West Highland Line crosses the top of Loch Shiel by way of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, pictured, en route from Glasgow to Mallaig in the Western Isles. Designed by Sir Robert McAlpine, the viaduct was one of the largest engineering works using un-reinforced concrete. Some now know it as the Harry Potter bridge...
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2116D00000578-6154439-The_Brecon_Beacons_in_Wales_gets_its_name_from_the_lighting_of_f-a-108_1536656557873

The Brecon Beacons in Wales gets its name from the lighting of fires on mountaintops to warn of attacks by the English. Discovering Britain says the Celts settled the area with hill forts and it was also conquered by the Romans
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2116400000578-6154439-The_North_York_Moors_contains_one_of_the_most_spectacular_and_un-a-109_1536656594784

The North York Moors contains one of the most spectacular and unusual valleys in Britain - Newtondale. Discovering Britain describes the valley as wide, deep and curving and says it was shaped from torrents of water released from melting ice sheets some 10,000 years ago
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2115B00000578-6154439-Wast_Water_in_Cumbria_is_Britain_s_deepest_lake_According_to_Dis-a-110_1536656620627

Wast Water in Cumbria is Britain's deepest lake. According to Discovering Britain, it is famous for its 'screes' - great swathes of dark rubble that blanket the valley side above the lake. On a thundery day they give the valley a dramatic, forbidding feel
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2113200000578-6154439-A_lone_combine_harvester_collects_the_crops_from_a_field_in_Devi-a-111_1536656640737

A lone combine harvester collects the crops from a field in Devizes, Wiltshire. Though agriculture covers 70 per cent of the UK’s land area, it imports much of its food, which Discovering Britain puts down to increasingly 'cosmopolitan tastes'
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2114C00000578-6154439-An_amazing_aerial_shot_showing_Buckingham_Palace_in_the_heart_of-a-112_1536656715308

An amazing aerial shot showing Buckingham Palace in the heart of central London. Its environmentally-friendly private gardens sit alongside two of London’s eight Royal Parks, creating a ‘green heart’ in the middle of the city
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2113E00000578-6154439-The_fertile_flat_fenlands_of_East_Anglia_pictured_hold_nearly_ha-a-114_1536656763694

The fertile, flat fenlands of East Anglia, pictured, hold nearly half of England’s most productive, Grade 1 farmland. But Discovering Britain says that it is only so successful as 286 pumping stations work day and night to pump water out of this low-lying landscape into 6,000km (3,728 miles) of human-made dykes and drainage rivers
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2111400000578-6154439-The_Redsands_Sea_Fort_off_the_coast_of_Kent_built_to_help_shoot_-a-115_1536656794957

The Redsands Sea Fort off the coast of Kent, built to help shoot down enemy planes intent on bombing London in the Second World War. Discovering Britain says the forts had some success - soldiers stationed there shot down a total of 22 attacking German aircraft and 30 doodlebugs, protecting densely populated London from even more devastation
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2110800000578-6154439-Perched_on_the_coast_of_Northumberland_Bamburgh_Castle_was_first-a-116_1536656813712

Perched on the coast of Northumberland, Bamburgh Castle was first built by the Normans and then added to over the centuries. Discovering Britain reveals that the Anglo-Saxon King Ida, a powerful pagan warlord, captured and then refortified the castle. He gave it the Angle name Berniccia
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD2110000000578-6154439-Blenheim_Palace_in_Oxfordshire_the_birthplace_of_Sir_Winston_Chu-a-117_1536656838512

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Blenheim is a rare example of the English Baroque style that lasted only 40 years from 1690-1730. Characterised by bold lines, exaggeration and overwhelming size, it is a grand and ornate style that was seen as too flamboyant by many critics of the time, says Discovering Britain
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210F800000578-6154439-Second_only_in_size_to_Windsor_Castle_Caerphilly_Castle_in_Wales-a-118_1536656875295

Second only in size to Windsor Castle, Caerphilly Castle in Wales has stood since the late 13th century as a dominant and complex series of fortifications. Discovering Britain says Caerphilly reflected the precision of the Norman military planners who used the naturally occurring local lakes and water courses in their defensive design
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210ED00000578-6154439-Built_in_just_six_years_by_three_legions_of_men_on_the_orders_of-a-119_1536656902368

Built in just six years by three legions of men on the orders of Roman Emperor Hadrian to separate England and Scotland in AD122, Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland spans 73 miles and is one of the country's most remarkable attractions
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210E000000578-6154439-Grand_Hampton_Court_Palace_surrounded_by_lush_green_gardens_in_R-a-120_1536656920349

Grand Hampton Court Palace surrounded by lush green gardens in Richmond-upon-Thames. The site on the north bank of the River Thames was chosen by Thomas Wolsey, chancellor and confidant to King Henry VIII, because it was easily accessible by construction barges from London, says Discovering Britain
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210DC00000578-6154439-The_view_from_above_of_the_Cammell_Laird_shipyard_in_Birkenhead_-a-121_1536656938992

The view from above of the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Over the course of about 185 years some 1,350 ships launched into the River Mersey from the Cammell Laird slipways
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210C500000578-6154439-Hayling_Island_in_Bournemouth_is_under_threat_from_the_waves_as_-a-122_1536656962113

Hayling Island is under threat from the waves as the water can wash away the white sand. Discovering Britain says that the solution is to replenish the sand physically in time for the summer season, in an expensive process known as 'beach recharging'
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210C000000578-6154439-During_early_2014_England_experienced_the_wettest_January_since_-a-123_1536656985799

During early 2014, England experienced the wettest January since records began causing the River Dee in Cheshire, pictured, to burst its banks. It caused a national disaster, devastating parts of the country with wide-scale flooding
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210B800000578-6154439-The_town_of_Tewkesbury_in_Gloucestershire_pictured_in_2007_when_-a-124_1536657008434

The town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, pictured in 2007 when it was cut off by flooding. According to Discovering Britain, Tewkesbury is particularly vulnerable to flooding because of its geographical location at the meeting point of two sizeable rivers: the Severn and the Avon
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210B000000578-6154439-Jutting_out_from_the_Isle_of_Wight_the_chalk_Needles_are_instant-a-125_1536657027702

Jutting out from the Isle of Wight, the chalk Needles are instantly recognisable from the air. According to Discovering Britain, the tall, needle-like stack that gave its name to these rocks collapsed during a storm in 1764. The stump of this former 120ft pinnacle is now only visible at low tide and forms a dangerous reef
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210A800000578-6154439-The_UK_s_wetlands_have_been_disappearing_at_an_alarming_rate_acc-a-126_1536657057006

Lulworth Cove in Dorset is described by Disovering Britain as an idyllic bay, a near perfect circle, backed by white chalk cliffs and boasting a sandy beach fringing clear blue water
Britain from above: From huge factories to quaint villages and rolling hills, stunning aerial photographs capture unique perspectives of the country's most striking landscapes 4FD210B400000578-6154439-At_5_000_years_old_17_miles_long_and_made_of_180billion_pebbles_-a-128_1536657103407

At 5,000 years old, 17 miles long and made of 180billion pebbles, Chesil Beach in Dorset is the finest barrier beach in Europe, says Discovering Britain