Thomas Creswick was a landscape painter of a narrow range of scenery, predominantly that of Wales and Northern England, and usually incorporating streams or water.

He liked to maintain an overall brown tone in his landscapes and his work is distinguished by its integrity and power of construction.

This particular scene was painted in 1845, six years before he became a member of the Royal Academy. He is often regarded as a Victorian establishment figure and his success was marked by a Memorial Exhibition, held after his death.