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| Feeding the neighbours sheep |
Since we moved into the Cottage a little over two years ago we have got to know the woods around us very well. The diversification is good; some heathland, some deep woods, some light woodland and some estate park with larger trees and open aspects. There is a grand house, an old castle, a farm, a hop field and a small meandering river. There are footpaths, sheep paths, rabbit paths and even the odd deer run or two. There are uphill paths and (obviously) downhill paths – there’s even the odd level path!
The deep woods are predominantly sweet chestnut – many areas around Kent and Sussex are, their long, coppiced trunks ideal for hop farms - but there are two or three marvellous beech groves, some pine (used for growing and selling on), lots of oak and a remarkably ancient pollarded hornbeam. Being an old estate, there are copper beeches and an old pinetum which even contains a Sequoia (Giant Redwood) which is not 100 yards from our front door. But there are woods of impenetrable thick hazel and silver birch, a haven for animals, plants and birds alike.
We have acres of bluebells coming up right now and in a week or two they will carpet our landscape with a misted haze of cerulean which, when lit by long beams of mote flecked early morning sunlight, turn the deep woods into an ocean rather than a forest – as if a colour blind artist has been at work on the canvas.
So fortunate are we living here that we have found it only too easy to share our walks with friends and family. We frequently have visitors for walks, meals, coffee or tea and barbeques. But always walks. There is so much to see and to discover and then to pass on. Children love to run through the glades, looking up “walking” sticks, finding the grass snakes, picking heather, wild flowers and even foraging for mouth reddening blackberries. The sheep are friendly and inquisitive and usually a squirrel or two (or three) will put in an appearance. If we are really very, very lucky, we might see a roe or fallow deer, or perhaps a fox.
My daughter, not really an outdoors sort of person, recently brought her husband and my only (so far) Grandchild, Eli-Lew to spend a day with us and as it happened, at that time, we were taking care of our neighbours sheep and hens. Having six Grandparents means that finding a different name for each can prove to be a minor difficulty, but I am known as “Grumps” suiting both my (very) occasional grumpy demeanour and the need for an alternative to “Granddad or Grandpa. Naturally, living in the woods, or forest, the additional appendage to my name seemed appropriate.
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| Grumps scaring children at the ancient Hornbeam |
Eli is a little too young to appreciate all this, at a month less than 1 year old, but I hope he will come to appreciate the outdoors rather than sit in front of a computer or TV all day as the youngsters seem to in this time of rapid technological overkill. Phil, his father seems to enjoy being outside and has dabbled with chickens and vegetables and is a keen photographer – and anyone who would rather cycle to work than catch a bus – even in winter – can’t be too afraid of the big outdoors.
Still, we had an invigorating walk, fed the Jacob’s sheep, the hens and the bolshie bantam and picked up a few pinecones for firelighters. We didn’t get wet or cold, Eli-Lew didn’t fall out of his back pack and we went back home for a brew and some home made Herman Cake (A future blog post – perhaps?).
I wish we saw more people in the woods, I would love more people to get outside and encourage their children to explore. There is far more to see, enjoy and to educate than ever there could be in a shopping mall or in front of a Playstation.
Scotney Castle – where we live – fosters the walking ethic with Geo-cache, well laid footpaths, clear signage and maps and we hope to see more and more families roaming the estate and learning about the environment in which they live.
As Land Rover used to say in their wonderfully evocative commercial – One Life, Live It!
