Peace and tranquility of the wood

 

This autumn I have spent a lot of my spare time wandering around in my local woods. Its a wonderful time to be exploring the woodland. The trees have been ablaze with their autumn colours. A mixture of rich and vibrant oranges, reds, yellows and greens. In contrast their dark branches and often wet bark turns a mixture of dark greys, browns and blacks.

 On a misty morning this month I decided to visit one of my favourite woods named Lasgarn in Abersychan, Pontypool. It was very damp as we had been stuck in a period of rain and cloud for over a week.

The valley was blanketed in low clouds and mist drifted through the tree canopy which in parts looked like it had caught on fire as the Beech Trees leaves were the colour of burning flames. You could easily mistake the mist as smoke from a fire.

I made my way into the wood by walking up the steep path from the small car park near Waterworks Lane and Lasgarn Cottage. The climb is hard work and slippery in places. The ground was covered in a reddy orange coloured carpet of shed tree leaves. I felt like a VIP walking along the red carpet being welcomed with open arms into a magical place from a fairy tale.

The low cloud made things very quiet in the wood and their was this pervading eyrie silence. I was alone. The only noises I could hear was the rustle of my foot steps in the leaves as I walked, my heavy breathing as I worked hard climbing up heart attack hill and the occasional muffled bird call from a distance. A Green Woodpecker laughed, a Blackbird disturbed by my approach took flight from where it was foraging and hurtled away letting off an alarm call.

Then it all went silent again - well apart from me catching my breath. I stopped and breathed in deeply admiring the trees all around me. Lasgarn has many large Beech and Oak Trees and they turn a wonderful colour at this time of year.

The wood smelled great - the rotting of the leaves seems to release all kinds of chemicals into the air that does not smell of decay at all , rather a more a fresh sweet smell of life. The smell of nature recycling.

It was very still, with hardly a breath of wind. The only movement  was when  every few seconds a leaf would lazily float down and add to the glorious carpet of leaves.

My mind had been racing all week but now as I casually explored this sylvan haven - I felt peace and tranquility at last.

Deeper and deeper I ventured into the misty wood. Not a soul did I come across. I just had me for company.

I came across an old stone wall in a grove of tall Beech Trees. The ruins of some forgotten boundary or perhaps connected to the limestone quarries of old that existed here once, I admired the skill and effort it took to build this echo from the past.

The mist that pervaded the canopies of the trees was wonderful and bathed everything in silky soft light. There was a feeling of mystery and oldness here. I loved every minute.

I found a path and followed it, I believe it was once an old tram road that conveyed limestone rocks for the forges.

An old Beech tree was growing out of another wall. Incredibly it appeared to have almost fallen but was clinging on and growing strongly. How long has it been there I thought - probably over a hundred years.

I dallied and stopped here and there. Taking photographs with my Iphone. I was travelling light, no big cameras and heavy backpack. It was nice to be free of all my usual baggage and just enjoy the moments of tranquility and capture what I could with the incredible IPhone camera. Its a real marvel how mobile phones have developed.

I walked a roughly circular route through Lasgarn. Eventually I came out at the top of Waterworks Lane near the farm. It was then that met my first soul. A chicken with autumnal coloured plumage was pecking at my feet. 

I made my way back walking down the beautiful country lane. Down I strolled stopping here and there to admire the view down the valley. I gave two lovely horses a smooth and they seemed to enjoy some company and a scratch behind their ears.

I walked through a lovely tunnel of autumn goodness and eventually found myself after a slight detour kneeling on the rocks beside the Afon Llwyd River.

The clean and cold waters of the river sped past me separating the red carpet of fallen leaves. I have sat here many times over the years and its an amazingly peaceful spot.

For one last time I breathed it all in and enjoyed the moment. Then it was time for me to turn my back and return to the hustle and bustle of the world.

I had entered the wood with a racing, jumbled and tired mind .  Now I left calm and with a clear head.

 Places like Lasgarn are wonderful and should be cherished.