Last week was the school half term break so most of my time was taken up with keeping Toby out of mischief. I did have a free day on the Wednesday though (when he went for respite care) and by happy coincidence this was the best day of the week weather-wise, so I packed up my backpack.
There is no shortage of places to choose from within a 15 minute drive and I count myself very lucky to be able to transport myself with relative ease to the woods, the canal, the lakes or the hills as the mood takes me. This time I headed to Panshanger Park. From the 1700s this parkland formed the grounds of a grand stately home but after the death of the last member of the Cowper family in the 1950's the main house was demolished and the estate divided up and sold by auction. Today the park is owned by Tarmac who extract minerals at one end of it. As each mining site is exhausted they have been returning the land to nature, so at the Hertford end of the park there is now a wonderful 400 hectare nature reserve crisscrossed by paths from which you can regularly see many species of ducks, dragonflies and wild birds including the occasional kingfisher and even osprey at the right time of year.
I walked through the fields of grazing sheep (who seemed quite curious about me photographing them), down the track towards the lake cottage and along the Mimram river for a bit before heading uphill to the site where the house once stood. At the hilltop there's a bench with a wonderful view designed by Humphrey Repton so I sat to eat my snack. From there I headed into the woods until the eerie sight of crumbling stonework appeared through the gaps between trees. The Orangery is all that remains of the original house – though if you scrabble about in the woods you can see the remains of walls and terraces which are being slowly reclaimed by nature – it's a bit like being on the set of a Lord of The Rings film. Following the path past the Orangery leads to a ring of iron railings encircling a gigantic oak tree…
"The park contains the largest maiden (not pollarded) oak in the country, with a circumference of 7.6 metres. It is believed to have been planted by Queen Elizabeth I. Acorns from the tree have been used as seedlings for notable oaks in other parts of the country, such as the Prince Consort Oak in the Forest of Dean. Winston Churchill planted a sapling from the tree in the park and the tree can still be seen in the grounds." (source Wikipedia)
I'm not sure that the pictures quite convey how massive this ancient oak is without anything for scale in the foreground but it is quite awe inspiring. I sat there for a while, quietly. All around I could hear small birds twittering about their business in the undergrowth. The squirrels were busy too with their store-cupboarding. There is a feeling of magic there (though that might be just me channelling my childhood love of reading The Tree That Sat Down and The Faraway Tree) and I look forward to returning through the changing seasons and visiting the peacefully enduring old oak.
I walked the path back to the car beneath dramatic skies. I've realised recently that late afternoon and that last golden hour before sunset is my favourite time of day and it really soothes my soul and dissolves stresses to be wandering about then. Even the tedious traffic jams to get back through rush-hour Hertford couldn't dent my sense of well-being.
Although autumn is undeniably here with cooler, breezier days and an abundance of berries and hips in the hedgerows, the leaves of many trees have yet to reach their full autumn glory, so I'm hoping for another wood walk later this week before leaf fall is complete.
See you soon and thanks as always for visiting x
little cotton rabbits 
Thank you for this! Came online for an antidote to all the busyness and stressyness and knew to come straight to you! This is so beautiful, thank you. Strangely, that last hour is one of the harder ones for me, I’m fine once it’s dark, but the knowledge of the impending gloom at this time of year somehow makes me feel sad. I’m glad it’s a happy time for you 🙂
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Gorgeous photos! (Distinct shortage of knitting though–the sheepy ones almost make up for that!!) Thanks for sharing your wonderful walk with us.
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Your photos are beautiful. I’m glad you’re getting time to yourself for walking, I know how much you appreciate it. I loved reading about the tree; huge, old trees like that are fascinating.
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Your photo’s are great!! That first sheep, beautifull
Good to hear that the walk smoothed your soul
Have a good week, Manom
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Lovely photos – Panshanger is a place I have always wanted to visit- thank you for sharing your pictures
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I love the first picture of the sheep with a bit of grass dangling from her mouth. She does seem to find you quite interesting, too.
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What beautiful and peaceful photos – isn’t it wonderful to realize what soothes our souls and then to be able to do it?
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Beautiful post, absolutely idyllic and calming for the soul. You are blessed, gifted and generous to share. Thank you.
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Beautiful, Julie. I wonder if the history of the place makes it magical as well as its peace and beauty? The old trees and ruins which are an almost tangible link to the past and the people who lived and walked there in years gone by. I’d love to visit England sometime. For me the woods, etc, are also connected to childhood books. I’m reminded of Robin Hood seeing those big trees. Thanks for sharing!
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Beautiful images Julie…I can see how calming somewhere like that can be.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go back in time briefly to see how it was in the past.
I love the fact that industry is returning it back to nature.
V x
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These must be the healthiest and happiest sheep ever! So enjoy your blog and patterns. Glad you are able to take care of yourself (some days) as well. Happy Knitting!
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I think you needed that Julie. Much love.
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I wish I could say the same about woods, lakes… Nature within 15 minutes from the house. As I do not have it, I Love to receive your narratives always with such beautiful pictures from aroun your place!
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Julie,
Your pictures are so calming and peaceful. I could almost hear the birds and smell the air. Thank you ever so much for sharing.
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Your photos are always magical and much appreciated. The orangery is particularly beautiful.
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Beautiful, beautiful walk! Thank you for sharing with us. The photos are exquisite.
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Your pictures surely tell why the park has such a calming effect on you. A truly beautiful place to visit. Thanks for sharing.
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Merci pour la promenade. Profitez bien de ces moments de sérénité. Belle journée. Muriel
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Thank you for taking me on this small trip. Just beautiful. I love seeing the sheep and the oak is just beautiful!
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What wonderful photos Julie. Such a magical place! Luvs xx
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I really don’t take advantage of the amazing places to walk in this beautiful county of ours. Must make more effort. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Hi Julie, Thank you so very much for sharing your day with us through your photographs. I’m housebound quite a lot of the time. When I do get out I’m restricted to where my wheelchair can go, so your stunning photography is something I very much appreciate. It takes me back to the kinds of things I could see and do before my wheelchair became my legs, so once again a huge Thank You for sharing your precious free time.
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What fabulously evocative pictures of Autumn. Many thanks for sharing them. That oak tree is certainly magnificent, so old and still beautiful.
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The sheep have such cute faces! They look as if they’re wearing a scarf or shawl to keep their necks warm. I love the oak tree, are there any acorns on the ground for collectors (other than squirrels)?
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It looks like the perfect place to visit Julie, and what a beautiful old Oak — wow! Your photos are beautiful, as always — I especially love the sheepie shots!
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Lovely photos and commentary, Julie. Thank you so much for sharing with those of us who only know you virtually. I think you have captured the peacefulness beautifully. It calms my soul, just looking at the photos!
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What a beautiful spot and I loved hearing about the amazing oak tree. I remember reading somewhere that they can take about 200 years to die. No doubt it is a real haven for wildlife. I’m glad you had a nice day’s break from everyday life, it looks like such a peaceful place. CJ xx
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You certainly take wonderful photos with that great camera of yours. I always look forward to your posts. From the leaves, it looks like what we call a “Valley Oak”. We have many of these in northern California where I live. At least they have the same shape as the ones in your photo. Thanks for letting us accompany you on your walk. Hugs from Kimmy
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Julie: every time I read your blog and see your photos of country walks I feel as though I’m back in England. I love that you share your walks and photos. Thank you for the window into your English life.
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très belles photos!! un joli parc !
Bonne journée
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Julie thank you so much for the beautiful pictures, lovely autumn colours lovely wee sheep with cute faces, beautiful old trees and ohh the toadstools on the old trunks. You live in a beautiful part of the world.
I hope Toby enjoyed his break and is doing well.
Love reading your blog Julie and admire you very much with your busy life.hope you have good weekend
Take care
Ellie xxx
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Thank you so much Julie, this felt like a holiday!
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It seems to me that everything you touch is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
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that tree! those sheep! looks all so magical! I discovered those books only recently, very fun!
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I’m catching up with blogging after an absence and am reminded of just how stunning your blog is. Your photos capture autumn perfectly and have a sense of calm about them, and your words are always worth listening to. And looking back at all your recent creativity is inspiring and makes me want to knit something wonderful too.
Cathy x
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Glad you got a day of respite in such a gorgeous place.
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Julie, your knitting is wonderful,your photos inspirational and your blog is always so interesting! I’m in awe of your ability to fit so much into your day. Do you ever run workshops? ……… I am not far from Hertford ,
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What beautiful, evocative images. You capture the beauty and Englishness of it all so wonderfully. Here in my adopted home of Tuscany it has been a truly stunning autumn, with bright clear days as the vines and woodlands metamorphosed into a golden tapestry. But, I miss those magnificent English oaks so much. Thank you for sharing them with us.
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Beautiful! You are channelling your inner calm in pictures. Thanks…I needed that!
Lori from Port Perry
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Such lovely, lovely photographs! They lifted my spirits this morning.
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So beautiful. And so vastly different from where we live, in the desert southwest of the US.
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You always take the most beautiful photos! xxx Anne
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