A Woodland Walk
Kingston Lacy, Dorset
Woodland Walk - Kingston Lacy
Crunch, crunch crunch.
Footsteps on a gravel path. Fresh air fills my lungs. Birdsong fills my ears. My senses are awakened with the sight of trees and spring flowers basking in sunshine. The sky is clear and blue. Perfect.
I find myself walking a woodland trail at Kingston Lacy House1, a National Trust property in Dorset. The house and formal gardens are beautiful. The sweeping lawns, front are rear are a sea of green surrounding this house.
However, today, I am here to walk through the woodland that encircles the property. A natural guardian to the manicured lawns. The online guide recommends a clockwise route.
The National Trust has laid the gravel path that guides me on my almost 3 mile walk. It’s been created not just for walkers, but to encourage visitors to bring their bicycles and enjoy the woods.
Although the house was very busy, and the car park brimming with shimmering metal and glass, the woodland trail was quiet. Every chatter and whistle of the birds could be heard. Amazing.
Walking through woods with the ever changing light on a bright day enables me to see a new view, a different experience with each step. To encourage those travailing this path, the National Trust have placed signs with something to consider on each one. It’s kind of a mindfulness trail.
I will share these thoughts with you as I find them.
Leaving the car park and house behind, I follow the footpath into the woods. There are no stiles to climb and few gates. It is accessible for wheelchair users.
I can feel the sun penetrating my skin, thankfully there will be plenty of shade as I forgot to bring my hat. The first sign is poignant at the start of this walk in the woods.
Notice the physical
Become aware of physical sensations from the wind on your face to the connection your feet are making with the Earth beneath you.
There is little breeze, plenty of sun and warmth on my face and a definite crunch of gravel beneath my feet. It is good to take note. We are often in a rush; too busy to listen other than to be aware of the din of traffic, honking horns and people shouting into their phones. Now, in the quietness of the woods, the birds, the insects and the occasional babble of voices from passersby can be clearly heard.
Two yellow butterflies dance in mid-air courtship. Will the suitor gain the female’s attention? Survival of the species depends on it. It’s still early spring and many trees have yet to fill out with what will be their crowning glory. These are deciduous trees, many still waiting to be reborn for another season. How much better these woods are than, the dark, almost lifeless, coniferous forests planted commercially for pulp or furniture.
Fallen branches, indeed trees become home to insects and fungi. In turn, this provides food for the birds and mammals often hidden away from human eyes who fail to look closely. The decaying matter enters the ground providing nutrients to the very trees that provided the ingredients.
The National Trust is managing the woodland and has been thinning some parts of the wood. The new light now reaching the ground brings more life. Wildflowers now bask in the sun where once it was too dark for them. New trees can grow and start the cycle ready for another thinning in years to come.
Another sign comes into view.
Focus on your rhythm
Use that rhythm, the soles of your feet on the ground, as your base of awareness. If your mind is distracted during the walk bring it back to that rhythm.
Many advocate walking - not just to keep fit but to give time to think. Think about what you see, hear, touch, and smell on your walk. It’s also a good time to talk. Take a walk with a loved one, a friend, anyone with whom you can talk and share the journey.
Passing through the shadows of tall trees, their shape on the path below my feet, it’s not long before more words of wisdom appear. Framed in a cutout of a log it reads:
Feel your motion
Contemplate the movement in your body, how your arms swing or hang by your sides, how your weight shifts with each step you take.
I follow the advice. Interesting. Do we ever think about this as we walk? Ahead, the path curves to the left. What will be found? I stop, look up and stare at the beautiful blue sky. Cloudless. The tall trees around me still waiting for their leaves to appear. The bark of the trunk of one tree has an almost metallic look in the bright sunlight.
A few bluebells appear, they are not around for long and usually have peaked by early May. I am sure more will appear here soon creating a carpet of blue. Did you know that some people travel many miles to see bluebells in the spring?
Leaving these delicate flowers behind I find another sign to read. This will be the last one.
Explore your senses
Turn your attention to any sounds or smells which drift in, pleasant or unpleasant. Notice how your mind habitually wants to create a story out of each and how it might remind you of somewhere, something, or someone. Smells can be quite subtle, but if you are patient, you will be surprised by what you start to notice.
There are plenty of birds making sounds, and seconds after reading this sign the call of a pheasant is heard. The air is fresh. No unpleasant smells. The aroma of manure or fertiliser is absent. Generally, I don’t mind farm smells. How about you? Let me know in the comments.
I reach the point now where I have to cross the main entrance drive in Kingston Lacy House and cross the road. The woods and path, for while, run alongside the B3082, Blandford Road. The path eventually starts bending away from the road. Each step reduces the traffic noise until it fades into oblivion. Those who know about sound will refer to the inverse square law. The inverse square law states that with every doubling of distance away from the sound source, the sound will be four times less intense.
There is a boardwalk to cross. This area of the wood is low and no doubt in wet weather will pool with water. The trees have the look of a rain forest. Green lichen and moss envelop the branches and trunks of the trees. It’s only a short distance but interesting to see. My view now opens as I reach the edge of the open grassland with trees dotted here and there. A Cedar of Lebanon comes into view with its distinctive branches flowing over the grass below.
The direction sign now says turn right and Kingston Lacy House is in view. The circle is almost complete. A couple are lost, wondering where they can walk. I direct them to the boardwalk so, if they wish, they can complete the walk anticlockwise. If they decide, they could also walk back along the main entrance having at least enjoyed some of the woodland trail.
It’s now back to the car park and a picnic before taking a look at the formal gardens and setting off for home. There is something else that is always a must when visiting a National Trust property — a visit to their shop. Nothing bought today.
I hope you have enjoyed this story and if you have please use the like button. Let me know your thoughts on woodland walks in the comments box.
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For detail of Kingston Lacy House and opening times - click here.