Icy blast brings a fresh perspective
It's been particularly chilly of late and the recent blast of cold weather has brought- like it has pretty much everywhere in the country- a decent amount of snow. This cold front brought with it a new perspective on a place I have come to know very well.
Since living in the flat that I share with my partner, I've been lucky enough to have a beautiful 5K route that starts from my front door and goes through a truly lovely and quintessentially English landscape. Its a route that I will have run and walked hundreds of times over the past two years and never tire of. I've even ran it in the morning only to walk it that evening with my partner! Running the same route so often could be seen as a wasted opportunity to see other places and new routes. Why focus all your energy on the one place? What I've realized, is that you don't really ever see the same place twice. You see it in different lights, times, weathers and seasons each time you go. Each route through is a different and unique route that will always throw in new surprises. Running it in Summer brings Swallows that dart around my head as I run past the open barns next to the Farm buildings. The Winter months bring pheasant and duck shooting on the areas numerous ponds and small lakes which give the feeling of being transported back in time. Sheep graze on downland that turns from neatly trimmed grass in Spring to high meadow in Summer. I've seen a vast amount of wildlife and diversity on this short route and I'm still regularly surprised about what I see. However, since I've been treading this course through my local patch (Clandon Park), I had yet to see it in the snow! So at the first chance I could get I slipped on my trail shoes and headed straight for those familiar footpaths.
I realize that I am extremely lucky to live in a place that has such easy access to a stunningly varied and quiet patch of countryside. I do feel, however, that the more sensitive and attentive you are towards an area, the more it will reward you. Whether your regular run is a dramatic fell or just a small urban park.
View looking back over the lake and folly at Clandon House
I urge you to pick a route and follow it through the seasons. See each change in weather as an opportunity to see the place in a new light. I wish that I'd kept a photo of each time I'd travelled these paths and seen how it changes over the seasons. I'm not saying that you should ignore other opportunities and that you shouldn't explore new routes. I love discovering new places and exploring! For me, running this route and getting to know its nuances and characters has been a pleasure and has become somewhere I'll always think of with fondness. When I eventually move I'll have to find a new route to study, but I'm sure I'll remember and revisit these tracks in years to come.
If you fancy a visit to Clandon Park here's a link to the National Trust website:
There are two public footpaths going through the park which you'll be able to find on:
OS Explorer 145- TQ 0351 + TQ 0451
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