Dam

It'll be interesting to see the effects this mighty fallen Beech will have on Highland Water. The huge tree has fallen as if cleft in two and so causes double the obstruction; in a wet year the waters here can rise significantly and flow with some force, and Highland water always appears to carry a fair quantity of wood debris, so there's a good chance of a reasonable size dam developing.  Time will tell.

Over the hill

Briquetage

The Purbecks have always attracted people, nowadays for recreation, but in times past the abundance of natural resources made the area an attractive place to live or eek out an industrious  living.  Evidence of one such industry can be found along the Southern edge of Kimmeridge Bay, where a thick midden like deposit of Roman Briquetage can be seen.  Briquetage is the name given to the course ceramic used in the boiling process of salt production; salt has always been a valuable commodity and over the centuries huge fortunes were made. Whilst inspecting the midden I found a tiny shard of oxidized Roman glass, a luxury item of the times, maybe an indication of the wealth generated in the bay or merely evidence of the coastal trade of the period.

Below Hen Cliff

Two views from the base of Hen Cliff; the top looking East towards the Kimmeridge ledges and St Albans beyond, the bottom looking West towards Broad Bench and Gad Cliffs on the horizon.

Red Rise rising

The ground water level around Red Rise Brook is rising and now barely a footstep is taken on dry ground.

Ferny Knap

The coniferous blanket which currently surrounds Ferny Knap in the distance, a enclosure from 1843 of Oak and Beech, is slowly being removed through timber clearance, freeing the mature stands of Ferny and returning the land about to heathland.

James's Hill

Crab Tree Earth

On the horizon, Crab Tree Earth as seen through the misty stands which flank Ober Water as it makes its way through the wet heathland above Puttles Bridge.

A Foxes riddle

'A Foxes riddle and a Monkeys dance', is what my mother used to call it when rain fell and the Sun shone.  That was certainly the order of the day today.  The skies darkened and the rains fell, only to be swiftly replaced by glorious Sun, so brightly reflected off the rain jeweled land it was hard not to squint.  Autumn's coming, the colours are changing, males Deer roar from hidden groves and ground is softening; seasonal considerations need be thought about when planning walks now, as the bog woodland zones are becoming just that.

Chop chop

Timber cropping continues about the forest, here areas of Dames Slough are being thinned, the neatly cut and trimmed trunks stacked on track sides awaiting removal by mechanical beast.

Stonehenge Autumn Equinox

Our mission to Stonehenge for the autumn Equinox couldn't have gone better, we were certainly blessed.  Arriving Friday night we expected some rain, as prophesied by the TV weather wizards, but were spared any, in fact the night sky fluctuated between fleeting cloud and clear star spangled heavens. We spent the night on the drove, a blazing fire to keep us warm and light our evening, groovy sounds and a couple of sherbets made for a lovely evening of conversation and laughs amongst old friends.

The morning, 0515, was bloody cold and although getting out of sleeping bags was unwelcome, the walk to the monument entrance soon warmed us, or at least got our blood circulating.  There were a couple of hundred of us altogether and as the skies began to lighten we made our way into the stones.  Rollo led the ceremony and as always it was done with love; nice and uplifting.  The Sun then rose over the misty landscape of barrows, fields and clumps of woodland  which is the Stonehenge environs.  A perfect sunrise for Equinox.

I ended the day as I had begun it with an Equinox ritual, this time with the Clan of the Pheryllt in the forest.  Again a lovely inclusive ceremony of appreciation for natures bounty and the opportunity to meet folk I had previously only communicated with on line.  

Mabon

Mabon

Now gather the fruits of your labours,
and squirrel them away.
We've reached a moment of equilibrium,
soon night will conquer day.

Harvest home is again upon us,
we've passed this way before.
Give gratitude for natures bounties,
as we fill our winter stores.

An old God rejoins his Goddess,
their work together almost done.
We've gathered grain, we gather fruits,
with one more harvest to come.

A Holly King now rules our roams,
a chill wind stalks the thinning stands.
Nature's preparing for dormancy,
for hibernations sleep is soon at hand.

So, as our woodland changes colour,
and nature goes to ground.
We celebrate, reflect and relax, 
give thanks and dance around.

Barton coastal defences

The endless battle between land and sea continues as autumn waves batter these Norwegian ( I believe) boulders; defences  for the notoriously fragile cliffs at Barton, which erode at an astounding rate, even with millions pointlessly spent on revetment and drainage works.

Slow erosion down? Maybe. Stop it? Not a chance.

Hollands Wood

Detritus

Funniest thing I've ever found on the beach. Nuff said.

Becton Bunny

Mabon ceremony at Knowlton

Attended a very nice Mabon ritual with the Dorset Grove at Knowlton Henge; what an open and friendly group.  The ritual included the best handfasting ceremony I've seen.  All round a lovely day.

Knowlton

Knowlton Rings, a ruined 12th century church, within the banks of a Neolithic henge, which itself was part of a much larger monument complex, forms one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Dorset, if not nationally.  The interesting blending of pagan and Christian suggests that an earlier spiritual relevance of the site was maintained by the local population even after the adoption of Christianity; even today the site is frequently used by pagans, wiccans and Druids for rituals.

Winspit

St Aldhelms Head

Any season, any weather, St Aldhelms Head is a wild and rugged place; a post industrial landscape being taken back by nature.  Years of dumping quarry waste have created St Aldhelms Heads distinctive boulder strewn scree slopes. Between the bigger boulders, scrub has taken hold and slowly makes ground; deer can be seen roaming this wild world.  The commanding cliffs have seen plenty of activity over the centuries.  St Aldhelms chapel, a small square Purbeck stone chapel perches just back from the cliff edge, Coastguard houses from the mid 1800's lie close by and the whole headland saw early developments in radar technology take place at the Telecommunications Research Establishment at nearby RAF Worth Matravers.

By jiminy, a cricket!

Bat cave

I'd not visited the Bat caves at Winspit for some years and was concerned to find the grill blocking access to the former quarrying caves has been ripped off. The caves are home to several species of nationally rare bats.

Kings Hat

The only fungi that appears to have done well this year is Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), which has been more abundant this season and in larger clumps. This group is growing on a might Oak in Kings Hat.

No shroom

It's mushroom season, although you wouldn't know it. I've ranged the mushroom roams I'd usually frequent without success; it's not merely the edibles which are missing, it's any mushroom. The search goes on.

Blackenford Brook

This section was Blackenford Brook was one of the first stretches of stream I can remember being remodeled as part of the wet woodland restoration program. It was some years ago now and the woodland has healed well, looking more natural every year. When they altered the brooks course, the trees were also thinned, creating a far more open environment, developing a type pastoral woodland which was once common in the forest and maintained through grazing. It's an area where you can just sit awhile and watch the forest go by; time well spent.

Anderwood

The tranquil grassed landscape around Anderwood car park belie previous industrial activity of some kind. The lumps and bumps (an archaeological term), 4 large iron fixings set into substantial concrete bases and another concrete feature suggest some industrial activity took place here, possibly associated with war work. Further investigation required.

Pecker

Sawdust around the base of this Holly suggested a branch of two had been removed, although on closer inspection two perfect holes had been drilled, in to what transpired to be a hollow section of the trunk. The work of Woodpeckers never ceases to amaze.

Little Tranny

Tired of the weight and size of my trusty 25 series tranny for day to day use, I've started to use the smaller military Trangia. Compact and more ergonomic, it is easier to pack, lighter and more suitable to day missions; even in high winds the meths burner will heat .5lt of water in just a few minutes.

Barton Sunset

Nice.

Arish Mell

Pausing on the steep climb to Flowers Barrow we are afforded a fine view of Arish Mell, with Bindon Hill and Mupe Rocks beyond. You wouldn't know it, but the tiny cove of Arish Mell is the site of the waste pipe from Winfrith 6 miles inland, the site of a number of experimental nuclear reactors. The last reactor went off line in 1995.

Cockpit Head

The climb up Cockpit Head may have been intense, but well worth while as the views were immense.

Black Rock

In an attempt to avoid the calf burning climb, and knee pooping decent, of Cockpit Head we scrambled around the cliff base between Mupe Bay and Arish Mell, over the boulder strewn remnants of the major landslide of a few years ago. Beyond the slide the matrix of the beach is sub angular flint and rounded chalk, and the sea has a milky blue hue due to the chalk. Quite magical. Our exploits were without success though, as we were thwarted by the deep water around Black Rock.

Highland water

Highland Water lazily weaves a course through Great Huntley Bank under magnificent spreading canopies of mature Beech and Oak. Between fleeting clouds, dappled sun breaks through the crown of rustling leafs, warming the stands, reminding you Autumn not quite with us.

Beetle