A Harsh-Named Halt

 A Harsh-Named Halt

A Harsh-Named Halt (Oxmadyke Crossing), oil on canvas, 76cm x 101 cm

Detail

Larkin writes about

"swerving through fields.

Too thin and thistled to be called meadows,

And now and then a harsh-named halt, that shields

Workmen at dawn;"

This description typifies the landscape lying east of Boothferry. The railway line speeds through the flat countryside at this point, and there are a number of crossings which Larkin refers to. Oxmadyke crossing lies to the south of Gilberdyke, an area Larkin knew well - as we know from his photographs. The railway buildings and crossings along the route all follow a similar design. There is an eerie feel about them, especially as a lone train passes through and the barriers descend. 

I made a small watercolour sketch of the scene before I moved onto the oil painting. It was late in the day and the evening sun cast long shadows across the road.

Sketches

Further down the line as the train approaches the station of Brough, passengers would see a glimpse of the Humber as they pass through the fields "too thin and thistled to be called meadows".