The Sixth Peace In Nature Walk


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"FOREST OF DREAMS"

Greetings Sleepwalkers,

You are once again cordially invited to join us for the sixth Peace In Nature Walk, entitled "FOREST OF DREAMS", to be held from 8-11pm on Tuesday night 28th September 2004. The location is a weird woodland called Mardley Heath, just between Welwyn and Knebworth.

A sign at the entrance to Mardley Heath forbids you to carry guns, firearms and catapaults (I'd left mine at home). An area of natural heathland, it was purchased by Welwyn Rural District Council after the owner applied for permission to use it as a rubbish tip. All who use the heath and live by it must be forever in the council's debt. After the road, care in navigation is needed in the woods. You must locate the tunnel beneath the motorway: I followed blue arrows instead of yellow and succeeded.

- St. Albans Observer

This Walk is to be taken in the dead of night, at a special Full Moon for heightened atmosphere, with Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and The Sun all meeting up in Libra. Wrap up warm and bring candles, torches, flutes (for the tunnel :-) and perhaps thermos flasks of hot drinks. No cycling, please. We shall wander into the forest and tell stories and recount our dreams...

Directions

From A1(M) Junction 6, head north on the B197 Great North Road towards Knebworth. Drive through the village of Oaklands and up over Mardley Hill. Then turn left after crossing the railway line into Heath Road. After some houses on the left, eventually one is surrounded by woodlands with myriad paths. The meeting place is the car park at OS Grid Reference TL249184; if it is closed, there is ample parking space at the roadside.

Completing this journey will add the following points: (where n=number of participants)

These points may be used in future drumming and life events.

Please register your interest by phone or email. If you can't make this occasion, but are still interested, there will be many future outings, taking in other beautiful places off the beaten track which I've found during my travels around Herts, Beds and Bucks.


A Dark & Dangerous Place

Roberto, Helen, Joe, Jess and Ian made it to the rendezvous point at the designated time; any other Wanderers arriving late were left for the wolves. We set off with Joe leading us by head-torchlight, over the crazy undulating terrain, twisting up and down and around the old clay pits, trying to avoid walking over cliffs in the darkness. The moon came out occasionally to light our way and cast an eerie glow over the ground; eventually it became easier to walk by moonlight once our eyes had adjusted to the dark. After a while we found a large field at the edge of the woods, so stopped for some tea and flute-playing to watch the large moon appearing through the clouds. Then we set off in search of the tunnel, but at some point we lost the path and ended up in dense undergrowth. Backtracking some way, we found the path and then the tunnel, sadly rather acoustically uninspiring. Tired souls then headed back to the car park, being cooled off by a delicious gentle rain as we got back. Points have been awarded; see you next time for the big one!


© copyright Malcolm Smith 2004-05-18 - last updated 2004-09-28 - links verified 2004-09-27