Black Water

We've enjoyed quite a few misty mornings in the forest this winter, and I for one am not complaining. The presence of mist only adds another layer of mystery to the forest and therefore to our roams.

Markway in the mist

 

Markway in the mist

Dawn mist

 

As the sun rose so did the dawn mists and 30 minutes after I'd taken the photo of the Solstice sun rising, I took this photo above. A dramatic transformation, swift too. Where we'd enjoyed expansive vistas across the Dorset landscape, now we could barely see the adjacent ramparts and the Solstice Sun looked more akin to a bright full moon. Then just as swiftly 30 minutes later again, the mist had completely evaporated and disappeared to reveal a glorious morning and the magnificent surrounding landscape. Added a certain magic to an already outstanding Solstice.

Magical misty morning

You can't beat mornings like these, the eerie diffused light, with all the landscape's colours drained and muted, that rich earthy petrichor smell filling your senses, and the soft muffled sounds combine to create a unique magic. It resonates deeply with you on several different levels, conscious and subconscious.

Muggy day

Sea mists hung heavy over the Purbeck Hills this morning, even flooding parts of the Corfe Valley, and as we started off up on to the ridge you'd have been tricked into believing it was quite a nippy day. I was tricked into thinking that. On the way out, up onto Brenscombe Hill it was a touch chilly, although as we descended into the Corfe Valley that swiftly changed and it turned out in fact a muggy day. Throughout the valley the air was thick and still, occasionally the sun broke through the patchy cloud showing its growing strength.  Said patchy cloud though, along with the sea mists, then acted as insulation heating up valley and making for sticky walking. It was a relief when we climbed up the ridge towards Nine Barrow Down, and were enveloped by the cooling breeze sweeping the hillside. I'm not complaining, mind, it was a lovely walk...it's always lovely walking in Purbeck, the land holds its own special magic. I enjoy walking between very different environmental worlds too, and Purbeck is all about that, a fascinating mosaic of environment types, grassland, a variety of agricultural land types, hedgerows and woodland, not to mention the coastal hills, beaches and dramatic cliffs. It's a world in itself, Purbeck.

Barrow Moor

Barrow Moor deep in the forest, an ancient woodland packed with plenty of majestic pre enclosure trees, is always good walking. It's an interesting woodland, in a ruffled landscape, and being the headwaters of one of the forests many smaller tributary streams, several of the ruffles are bog filled making navigation difficult and confusing if you don't know the area. If you do know the area and you're canny about your route, you don't have to travel far to travel far. By which I mean you can walk for two or three miles in the same relatively small area of woodland without walking the same path twice (beyond a couple of nodal points and causeways), nor ever seeing the same views, and although they may well often be the same trees seen differently different aspects are illuminated. I walk Barrow Moor like this frequently, and I never get bored of it. It's a tardis of a wood. 

Misty mornings

These dawn perambulates really are quite uplifting on a fine morning such as this, and at Lughnasadh too. This year is going so fast, isn't it, or is it that just me. Harvest time already, wow. Whatever. Lughnasadh's blessings y'all, I hope first harvest finds you beginning to reap what you have sown and nurtured. Flags, Flax, Fodder and Frigg.

Nowhere

The forest is sometimes like this.

Mists of time

Mists render the forest timeless.

More mists

They're playing misty again.

Misty Morning

A Misty morning over the common, everything is quiet, muffled. The sun through the mist gives an alien feel and adds to the atmosphere of weird. It great how a simple weather anomaly can transform a well known landscape in to something magical and exotic, and allows your mind to wander and fantasize.