In a rush from one meeting to another, I had a small window of time to spare, and I felt the need for a piece of peace. I stopped and ventured into a wood that I have passed so many times but not explored. Milber Woods is a green lung in the midst of the large housing estates on the edge of the town, next to a busy main road. It is a local nature reserve in Newton Abbot, with ancient woodland of beech, pine and oak trees, a meadow area and a variety of wildlife.
First impression was the noise of the traffic, but as I walked up the hill, the trees won me over: I hadn't intended to take any photos, but I did a couple of record shots on my phone. The woodland is clearly managed with the trees given space to grow:
and then these characters caught my eye:
I found myself absorbed in the calm of the place. I slowed my pace and looked around for other interesting features. Here the dark green of the mossy roots snaking through the copper of the leaf fall, and the little pool of water nestling:
This led me to looking for other pools of water. I spotted this one with the reflections of the trees in it, so peaceful. The edges of the old tree stump provided the frame, and it made me wonder why it is that art is usually in rectangles or squares, when irregular shapes could add so much to the overall composition:
With the low percentage of woodland across the UK, the felling of any tree is a sad sight. Many are having to be culled in our woods in the UK due to disease and storm damage, but sometimes it is a positive, to thin out the woodland to give more room for the remaining trees to grow, to allow more light on to the forest floor and to encourage a more diverse environment. I wondered if the pattern at the centre of this felled tree was a sign of disease:
I rested on a bench, eyes closed, and just listened to the sounds of the woods. I was pleasantly surprised to hear so many different bird calls above the noise of the traffic, considering the chill of the January breeze. I then noticed a 'rat-a-tat' sound - the hammering of a woodpecker. A real treat. I will remember this moment.
Time was pressing and I had to hurry away. Back into the busyness, but grateful to those who had fought to keep this oasis amid the demand for housing land, and for the trees who are working hard to clean the air by filtering pollutants through their leaves.
When I got home I did some research about Milber Woods and came across this remarkable piece of film, made in 1927, almost 100 years ago. My father would have been about 2 at the time and I like to think that he and his older brother might have been involved in the planting of these saplings that now form the woods where my grandchildren play. The little child at the end of the film, wrestling with the spade, reminds me of both of my father and my youngest grandchild. We have to take care of the woodlands that we have and create new ones for the coming generations.
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