Places taking on names - updated 16-2-21 / 20-5-21

The plot is an easily navigable oblong shape with a kink at the south east corner. It has a height difference of 30m with terraces which means you cannot see all of the site from any point. The road runs along the bottom and the neighbouring plot at the top of the incline has a row of tall conifers which are easy to spot from most places which helps with orientation. I have now taken to naming different parts of the land to help my navigation and to identify those places best suited to sunsets, fires, hammocks, tree climbing, making lunch, being on my own or bringing friends for a brew.  The first is the oldest oak tree on the site. She is so special she has her own name - Cecelia (the sessile oak)

        

    

There is a handy place for about 6 people to gather for lunch (when such things are allowed) with a flat surface to lay out food and a sheltered place to boil water. This is The Canteen. There are also great views.

      

      

And  here is a more private place where a yew tree and a deciduous tree together make a sheltered area for one person to sit which is dry even in the rain - this is The Snug

I am keen to create an area that is wet all year for the wildlife and so far have identified an area which I am calling The Swamp. This would need to be scraped out to hold more water. I am keeping an eye on it to see if this would work. There is a cascade of water arriving in it which appears from nowhere. I think it is just the land releasing water which means it may dry out some day - although this is Cumbria. There could be a spring in which case this would work well.

Then there is the Glade above the Swamp which has lovely views to the west and a good feeling of height. It doesn't look like a glade in this picture but there is a lovely oak tree to the right of this shot and I will try and remember to take a picture of it to add to this.

And the Glade below the Swamp which has a beautiful yew tree and is more private.

       

On the inward & north facing side of the steepest part of the site is another gorgeous oak tree sitting half way up the slope which must be of a similar age to Cecelia and is also a sessile oak but somehow feels to be more male! There are still last year's leaves holding on in the most sheltered part of the tree which shows that it has been protected on some fiercely windy days. There are great views from here which will disappear when the leaves grow as the seating area means you sit at eye level to the branches. He is now called Cecile B. 

On an early pre purchase visit my friend slipped on a flat stone embedded in the ground and found herself sitting down quite comfortably under a gorse bush. This will be forever known as Mags’ Stone!

At the bottom of the site there is a dark dank area with fallen trees and a sheep skeleton. This is The Graveyard.

There are 2 beautiful willow trees that have grown without competition from other trees and have spread out evenly in all directions. Their bases must have been nibbled by deer when they were growing as they have branched into having many trunks and one of the trees creates a perfect place to sit. She is now Willamena.

 

 

There is a flat square area in a prominent position which feels enclosed by hawthorn and gorse and has entrances and exits through the hawthorn trees and gorse bushes. It has the feel of a Living Room with great views. This could be a good camp site, somewhere to use a telescope or even somewhere to try yoga as it is unusually flat! The bracken is all dead at the moment so it makes a lovely area and this will be the first area I tackle by bashing the bracken to keep it open. I won't plant trees here.

The stream running from east to west is one of the most beautiful features of the site. There are  lovely cascades and numerous crossing points used by deer. The stream is surrounded by silver birches of similar ages and is the one area which feels like a wood now. I have no desire to change this area in any way and I think of it as a Sylvan Corridor. I may need a better name but it works for me.

There is a gorgeous spot which appears to be sheltered from the wind and faces due west. The sun hits it at noon and shines there until sunset in winter. It is just above a large badger sett and looks over a lovely dip which the birds fly over which is full of the gorse. There is a lovely flat rock to sit so this is now called the Noon Rock.

I have recently found a lovely corridor of hawthorn trees which has connected two areas of the site for me - if I find this then I can find many of the other areas identified here. These are lovely old gnarly trees and despite the lack of leaves feels like a secret place. The path is level despite the land either side going up and down. The gorse is in flower. Difficult to capture on a photograph but here it is. Working title - Hawthorn Corridor.

At the top of the site standing alone on an outcrop is this notable tree. She can be seen from all around and has proved useful for navigation. She is easy to dismiss but I have found myself standing next to her as the sun sets on many visits and realise others are also drawn to her as well. We think she is a very old hawthorn but won't know until spring. I think of her as the Grandmother and that is her working name. * now named Agnes after Agnes Starnthwaite who is the oldest woman I have found who is named as having been from Crosthwaite, to have been buried at the local church St Mary's Crosthwaite. She was buried on 7th August 1657. (It looks like her parents Jenet & John Starnthwaite were buried within a week of one another in the same graveyard in June 1632 - I believe they were the first Starnthwaites to move to the area and established the mill so would not have been born in the Gilpin Valley).

  

Bel's Wood 

16-2-2021