Burley Old

Being one of the oldest enclosed woodlands in the forest, Burley Old enclosure (1700) is naturally imbued with that air of old magic. Over 300 years it's seen so much, so many changes, and before that so many more. The idea of place interests me. It's a woodland with history and countless stories woven into it. I know my own stories too have been added to its weave.  Burley Old is an open woodland of veteran Beech and Oak, with the odd smaller shrub tree colonizing gaps caused by fallen trees. Over the last few years there have been too many of those gaps; the woodland floor is littered with the fallen, and every hole in the canopy weakens the whole. It doesn't matter what the season or the weather, these stands have a character of their own, they're a wood which makes you feel welcome. Sometimes it feels as if you're walking in an expansive high ceilinged hall, an huge natural temple or something. This morning the stands were still and tranquil, a fine mist hung in the distance and the forest was muffled, quiet but for the sounds of bird song high above in the canopy.  Or so you thought. Natures good a hiding, and we're not always so good at taking notice. When you stopped though, and took time to listen, it wasn't just the birds, you could hear the feint sounds of movement all around, in a distance twig snapping or the rustling of a bush. When you take time to look, a pony's watching you from within a jumble of fern, way off in the distance 3 deer stare almost motionless but for their flicking tales and you know that's not the half of it, all the woodlands smaller inhabitants are going about unseen. There's always something going on in the woods.