Rain Hushes River (In the Footsteps of Turner)

‘Rain Hushes River, Hackfall’, mixed media on sketchbook page 26cm x 17cm

Hackfall is at the Masham end of the village of Grewelthorpe in North Yorkshire. The landscape that can be seen today was in large part a result of design and work undertaken by the Aislabies. John Aislabie bought Hackfall wood for £906 in 1731. He was already famous for his landscaping work at nearby Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. William built follies, many of which can still be seen. He also created grottoes, surprise views waterfalls and a fountain. It was visited and painted by Turner in 1816.

Painted on a very wet day this little watercolour has the river Ure in the foreground and ‘Mowbray Castle’, a folly built by William Aislabie in the distance, the drawing was made close to where Turner made his painting of 1816: