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| Mother and fawn |
On sunny days in November, I'm usually in a 'make the most of the outdoors' mood. I like to enjoy the autumn colours while they last - and so when I can, I squeeze in a woodland walk. I did this recently when I walked through Writtle Forest, which isn't far from where I live. Writtle forest is made up of different areas of ancient woodland - and a good description of it comes from the late academic and writer on the British countryside, Oliver Rackham:
' Writtle Forest is a wild and lovely place. Nearly everything one sees there is of the fourteenth century or earlier: the great assart surrounded by hornbeam springs and alder slades: the heathland. Pollard oaks, and woodbanks.'
I'd also add to this description the lovely sight of fallow deer because there are so many here, and it's wonderful coming across them...
I looked for a trace of the hermitage, but I couldn't see anything. From the maps, it appears it stood where there is now a small meadow. There's another 'lost' building around here, too - King John's hunting lodge. Sadly, there's also little trace of this here today.
Writtle Forest has a claim to fame as the birthplace of Robert the Bruce....but which Robert the Bruce remains a dispute among historians. Some maintain it was the famous King of Scotland, while others believe it was his father (Robert the Bruce or Robert de Brus, sixth lord of Annandale, born 1243) who had an estate here.
I love walking through all woodland in November, but there is something special about walking through an ancient forest. The old trees, with their thick, gnarled trunks, have so much character.
And I don't suppose it was a bad job being a hermit here either, all those years ago.
Oo I'll take that job if it's going - what could be better than living in a beautiful forest surround by trees and deer - and you get paid to do it too - I'd pray for any old King for that. Beautiful pictures Wendy - it surely has been a beautiful Autumn this year.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound a good deal, doesn't it? Praying for a king in return for being paid to live in a beautiful place, away from it all. I think if such a job was advertised today there'd be quite a few people applying, to say the least!
DeleteGood morning!:) There is something about ancient forests that is magical, and I enjoyed the history about this one. Beautiful pictures of the deer and fawn, and all the glorious autumnal colours of the trees and ferns.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your concern for your bees, but Asian Hornets are very rare in Europe, but if hornets do decide to take up residence on your land, they can be quickly dealt with by the appropriate authorities. We used to keep bees at one time, until a strain of ferocious African bees showed up and without any provocation, stung everyone in sight. By that time, we had had enough of bee keeping.:))
That does seem a shame that you gave up beekeeping, but I have heard that African bees are more aggressive than the bees we are used to here. I wonder how the strain of African bees came to be in your area.
DeleteI don't suppose we will know until next spring if all the Asian hornets in the UK have been destroyed. They may not survive anyway if it's a hard winter this year.
What a truly beautiful place it is, I love old trees and really miss my walks with my old dog in ancient woodland here. Like Elaine, I wouldn't mind being a hermit if it meant I could live among the trees and deer, as long as someone brought me my meals!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you there - If I was to take on the job as Forest Hermit I think I'd like some things brought in! I read that gathering nuts was an important part of the medieval hermit's way of life here but following the 'recent' introduction of grey squirrels there are no longer any nuts in the forest anymore.
DeleteFascinating stuff. You don't think of lost buildings inside woods.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to find out more about the meadow (where the hermitage used to be). I wonder if it was the clearing around the hermitage and if its boundaries were established in the Middle Ages. It was fascinating trying to envisage how this part of the forest looked at that time.
DeleteI know what you mean about November, it is a lovely colourful month. The shortest day is not too far away now and then we'll look forward to spring. A beautiful forest, loved seeing the deer.
ReplyDeleteThe deer are wonderful, but they always saw me before I saw them. They would watch me until one of them gave a warning bark and they ran off. Seeing the fawn was an extra treat.
DeleteAn interesting post and lovely autumnal photos Wendy. Fascinating to read about the history especially the hermits - like the others I would have been quite happy to be a hermit in such beautiful surroundings with deer :) As you say there is something so magical and peaceful about ancient woodland and a wonderful place to walk :)
ReplyDeleteI also often walk in some new woodland (less than 100 years old) and I find there is a real difference in atmosphere between this and an ancient forest. The ancient forest does seem much more magical and I agree, there is something very peaceful there. Being a medieval hermit in the forest, at a time when most jobs were hard and horrible, couldn't have been that bad.
DeleteLooks like a very special place with so much history to learn about and wander in. The deer are beautiful. I wonder how many hermits there were over the years, offering up prayers for their Kings and living such sheltered lives in the forest? November has been warmer and more colourful this year, we have had very few foggy mornings so far:)
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many hermits were there, too. The only hermits recorded are those in the early Middle Ages, so I wonder if later kings changed their minds and decided they didn't want to support them there after all. Perhaps the hermits lived there anyway after this, but if so, they would have missed the income from the king.
DeleteLovely pictures Wendy - the first one has a mystical, magical feel to it. I know exactly how you feel about the Autumn, I am already getting to the stage now when I am beginning to dream about the Spring, which is silly really, as there is such a long time still to go.
ReplyDeleteI'm already missing the long days, I can't get used to it getting dark in the afternoon. The countryside doesn't look bleak yet, but when all the leaves are off the trees I can't wait for everything to look green again.
DeleteYour photos are delightful with their sunny light. The history of the forest and the monastery is really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how often the king would ride out to see the hermits, and if he brought some of his court with him, and also if the hermits were protected in anyway. There must have been footpads and even outlaws roaming the forests then.
DeleteOh....I could happily be a hermit in such a beautiful place! What a lovely post, I especially enjoyed the photo's of the deer, how lovely seeing them. How cute was the mother and fawn!xxx
ReplyDeleteI always look for the fawns when I'm out walking so I was delighted to see one at last. I totally agree about being a hermit in a forest - being paid to get away from it all and live so peacefully would be perfect!
DeleteThe hermit must have had a wonderful location to live in, especially at this time of year. It reminds me of Henry David Thoreau experience of living in natural surroundings. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteWe live in such a noisy world today that to live with just the natural sounds and silence of a woodland must have been wonderful. I've never read Henry David Thoreau's 'Walden' and you've reminded me that I must - thank you!
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