An early winter walk around Wandlebury Hill Fort and along the Roman Road to Copley Hill bowl barrow

Along the Roman Road
Today was a pearl of an early winter’s day so I decided to take the opportunity on one of my days off to cycle up to the Gog Magog Hills and Wandlebury Hill Fort and then to walk a little way along the Roman Road to Copley Hill (on top of which is a Neolithic or Bronze Age bowl barrow) to eat a sandwich, drink a flask of hot tea and take in the view.  

Why I chose that particular spot for my lunch today can be explained by the fact that this morning as I had my first cup of tea of the day I decided, for no discernible reason, to listen to William Alwyn’s Fifth Symphony. This symphony, written in 1973, has the subtitle Hydriotaphia which, some of you may know, is taken from Thomas Browne’s book Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial, or, a Discourse of the Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk (1658). I dug out my copy and read a few pages of its allusive and frankly hauntological prose and, as I pondered his words, I realised that I really had to make my way to a place where just such ancient burials were actually to be found so as better to carry on my own hauntological and philosophical musings.

Naturally, along the (ancient) way, I took a few photos and include them here for your pleasure. As always they were taken with my Fuji X100F and are all straight out of the camera jpegs (with an occasional, very slight, crop).

Just click on a photo to enlarge it.

A farmer and his dog on the way across to Copley Hill (on the right covered by trees) 

The site of T. C. Lethbridge's excavations at Wandlebury Country Park

In the woods at Wandlebury Country Park 

Stonework in the grounds of Wandlebury House

Doorway through into the orchard of Wandlebury House 

Doorway through into the orchard of Wandlebury House

Fence in the woods in Wandlebury Country Park

Bench in the woods in Wandlebury Country Park 

Coppicing in the woods in Wandlebury Country Park

The sylvan nave in the woods in Wandlebury Country Park  

Along the Roman Road

Along the Roman Road

Along the Roman Road

Along the Roman Road

Along the Roman Road

In the grounds of Wandlebury Country Park

Sheep grazing in Wandlebury Country Park

On top of Wormwood Hill (once thought to be a barrow) in Wandlebury Country Park

Comments

Unknown said…
I had never heard "Hydriotaphia" listened to it while working on editing some photographs. I really enjoyed it thanks for mentioning it. Next time you're out and about I have been loving Shostakovich's symphony # 10.
Greetings Andy, I'm glad to have been able to introduce that piece to you. Alwyn is still a rather negelected figure. And, yes, Shostakovich's symphonies form a rich body of music. I have heard his tenth (back when I was study music at Colchester Institute) but cannot claim really to know it so I'll make sure I give it a proper listen in the very hear future. Every best wish, Andrew.

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