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Paul Dobraszczyk

@pauldobraszczyk.bsky.social

Magpie architectural writer and image maker. 'Botanical Architecture: Plants, Buildings and Us' out now with Reaktion Books. www.ragpickinghistory.co.uk

649 Followers  |  520 Following  |  339 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2024
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Posts by Paul Dobraszczyk (@pauldobraszczyk.bsky.social)

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Mossy raiment, Chee Dale

22.02.2026 21:59 — 👍 8    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Indeed he is! Great-great grandson I think.

19.02.2026 20:41 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

It's a marvel! I am hoping to launch my book about Driver there next year.

18.02.2026 18:36 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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The fabulous former railway station at Tunbridge Wells West, designed by Charles Henry Driver and built in 1866.

18.02.2026 12:40 — 👍 23    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 2
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Three buildings by Charles Henry Driver in Dorking, all completed in 1872: a school, shop and the town hall.

18.02.2026 12:35 — 👍 18    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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A splendid couple of days exploring the work of Victorian architect Charles Henry Driver in Surrey and Kent. First up, this is Leatherhead railway station, completed in 1867.

18.02.2026 12:26 — 👍 27    🔁 2    💬 2    📌 0

Very icy after the previous day's rain. Some walkers were even wearing crampons!

16.02.2026 18:05 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Here's mine on the same day coming down from Hay Bluff

16.02.2026 11:16 — 👍 11    🔁 1    💬 2    📌 0
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Snow-dusted Pen y Fan from Hay Bluff

15.02.2026 21:33 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Paraglider, Hay Bluff, Black Mountains

15.02.2026 19:41 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Maybe just outlaw small padlocks?

06.02.2026 19:03 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Never been up that one Toby! Looks chilly.

03.02.2026 12:17 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Three tiny chimneys and acres of glass: Manchester from Hulme park.

31.01.2026 11:07 — 👍 26    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0

Thanks Toby! A real treat to meet you.

30.01.2026 21:05 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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View of Manchester's 'world-class' skyscraper district from St George's Park, Cornbrook

30.01.2026 17:33 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Manchester's new religion

29.01.2026 22:16 — 👍 13    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Hilbre Island, a New Red Sandstone outcrop and tidal island in the Dee estuary. A wonderful place to walk to at low tide in crisp winter sun.

18.01.2026 19:21 — 👍 9    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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The third sewage pumping station built at Abbey Mills, East London, from 1910 to 1914, featuring an almost ecclesiastical interior with its fabulous creamy and russety patinas. I imagine a future conversion into a stupendous swimming pool.

18.01.2026 19:13 — 👍 8    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Absolutely influenced by Jones's work on colour and iron - the Crystal Palace scheme was key for this.

18.01.2026 11:43 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Ornamental cast iron in the interior the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, recently re-painted to match its original colours of the 1860s

17.01.2026 12:54 — 👍 63    🔁 11    💬 0    📌 1
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The stunning interior of the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a veritable cathedral of sewage, completed in 1868 and designed by Charles Henry Driver and Joseph Bazalgette

17.01.2026 11:12 — 👍 47    🔁 3    💬 2    📌 1
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A video of yesterday's magical excursion to a frozen Kinder Downfall

11.01.2026 15:12 — 👍 15    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 1
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This afternoon I snuck in behind a frozen waterfall: Kinder Downfall in the Peak District

10.01.2026 19:30 — 👍 30    🔁 6    💬 3    📌 0
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A beautiful mini-copse of silver birch trees growing on an island in the Birch Vale reservoir

08.01.2026 21:14 — 👍 16    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
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Special product, Cemex Dove Holes Quarry

06.01.2026 20:55 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Four flats and a few more beyond, Manchester

06.01.2026 20:50 — 👍 11    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

I'm looking for decent sources on ghosts and haunting/mind and matter. Something more academic in nature than the Uncanny stuff but not nonsensical or impenetrable (eg. Derrida). Any pointers gratefully received!

06.01.2026 13:59 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Light painting itself on Manchester's canals

03.01.2026 20:09 — 👍 14    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
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Four views of Manchester's new towers in the spectacular polar light this afternoon

03.01.2026 19:54 — 👍 11    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Thanks Alice!

03.01.2026 17:17 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0