大象传媒

Sweet, pink, sticky figs are enjoying a fashionable moment on the plates of British diners. Wrapped in Parma ham or served with dollops of mascarpone, they remind us of Italian holidays and other Mediterranean climes.

But unbeknown to shoppers at South Yorkshire delis, these fruits also grow in some of our cities' most industrial landscapes. The Common Fig, or Ficus Carica, is native to a region stretching from Greece to Afghanistan but can be found growing amidst the remains of factories on the River Don and River Rother, if you know where to look.

Thistle down captured on the canal banks

The seeds of imported fruits are thought to have germinated in water which was warmed up by factory outfalls, from the steel industry in particular.

"They're a kind of industrial archaeology," says wildlife photographer Simon Brown.

"I feel strongly that we should be recording them. We don't have much of a steel industry any more so we probably won't see any more of these trees."

Photographing reflections of a disused factory

And the figs of South Yorkshire are not alone on the banks of our waterways - as autumn draws in there are elderflowers and blackberries, Rowan berries and Evening Primrose, all growing higgledy-piggledy at the waterside.

Click on the link below to find out how you can get lush, scenic shots in the heart of our former industrial landscapes.