Hunsbury Hill Country Park

Cherry

By marandina

Sun, 16 Oct 2022
  • 2666 reads
17 comments
 

A local haven at Fall

 

Hunsbury Hill Country Park

Falling leaves drift; autumnal eddies,

amber blankets billow in breezes,

dragonflies hover over fans of fern,

light dances in wildflower meadows.

Ancient woodlands, oaks stand tall

where birch trees, silver-barked

watch sycamores shedding seeds

and green pines dressed in cones.

Trails meander, undiscovered stories,

merchant road now dust and dirt,

Iron-age ghosts roam archaic forts,

carrion-crows caw; thoughts of winter.

Railway lines hidden by roots,

engender forgotten, bygone times

and in the church of my mind,

I see a white stag vanishing,

 

silently into a long-lost copse.

 

 

Image is a photo of mine

https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/local-parks/hunsbury-hill-park

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Nature

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

the ever chaging and vanshing wilds. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading it, CM. Ever changing and vanashing wilds. Yes, quite possibly.. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

You deliver this poem so Hauntinly beautifully Paul. Sounds like an amazing place.

Jenny. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Jenny. It's a place that I visit regularly, invariably with Skye Woofer (my dog). It's an oasis in the middle of suburbia. I love it there :) 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

A green oasis ringed by major duel carriageway roads and the M1. Surrounded by housing estates. Just up the road from a massive Tescos.

Good place to chill out and catch your breath

Posted a crime story based around Tescos Mereway a few years back 

https://www.abctales.com/story/ed-crane/big-cat

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Ed. It's only 3 miles from where I live. Tesco Mereway is the black hole that consumes most of my money over the course of the year! Thanks for the link. Will read in a bit. Paul 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for the cherries, ABC Eds.  Much appreciated. Paul :) 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I liked how everything is alive in your wood, except the human stuff : road and railway. Trees all busy in their cycles with seeds and cones and falling leaves. And your linking of time to another wood, with the white stag, magic messenger or omen of change, that must have happened for you to be in this wood, now?

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Di. There is a railway preservation project based at the park where there are also disused railway lines which are covered in roots. The merchant Road is now just a gravel pathway but it used be a recognised road that ran to Leicester a long time ago. The park itself is the site of an iron age Fort. So yes, the human elements belong in the past for the most part. 

 

Northants County is synonymous with white harts. There are numerous pubs with that name. My white stag is in my imagination running into a forest from the past. 

 

I adore this country park and often walk the woofer there. Paul :) 

 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

yes, I also loved the ghost of things past. It's always just in the corner of one's vision isn't it?

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading. insert/Claudine. Yes, the past lingers around the park in so many guises. It makes it a special place. Paul :) 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Trails meander, undiscovered stories That is what is so nice about a bit of wildish woodland, however small, children and we all like the feeling of exploring, and there are so many nooks and carnnies that vary throughout the year. And the signs of past history as you say give rise to wonderings.

Out in the country too, there can be signs of old roads, old boundaries, railway courses, old estate driveways and planted avenues etc.

Enjoyed rambling with you! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Rhiannon.

 

Did the tree trail last visit. There are QR codes to scan on wooden posts that reveal details about the park. I'm not so hot on stuff like scanning things on mobile phones but my lad came along and wanted to do the teccy stuff. Glad he did as so much more was learned like the history behind the former merchant road. 

 

Exploring is the greatest fun as is rambling! Paul :) 

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Inspiring autumnal reverie: an enjoyable read with an enticing sense of mystery !!!

 

hilary    smiley

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading, Hilary. Paul :) 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Very lovely. :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thanks for reading, Rachel. Paul :)