Finding art, sanctuary and shapes within woodlands: A journey through Blidworth Woods.

Sometimes a walk in the woods is the perfect antidote to the modern world and the seamless oddities that we have been faced with both during the pandemic and of course as restrictions have been eased. Still though, it was just last week that I re-visited some woodlands that before Easter of this year (2021) I had visited and yes, an oddity did happen; it snowed! Still though this time the weather was a lot nicer, warmer and the worry of snow falling was not on my mind at all, instead I was focused on having a nice walk and capturing some trees. I say trees, but Blidworth Woods is something of a dense wood that you could easily describe as being,

“A small forest in disguise, one that has secrets throughout it and gems just waiting to be discovered at every turn.”

Ironically though the website for Blidworth Woods does say the following “Forestry England” so maybe it is a forest, maybe it is not - either way though I digress. As it would seem that Blidworth Woods is something of an intricate maze with secrets at every turn which like many woodlands and forested areas provide a plethora of interesting compositions at every turn - even when you are least expecting a composition to arise. I had arrived in the car park of Blidworth Woods, sheltered by a canopy of trees, exposed areas also exist at this point and usually a burger wagon is parked up here, providing much needed refreshments; however it was not there this time around - (but I can highly recommend one of the tempting burgers that they do and a hot chocolate).

Ahead of the car park is a path, a long straight path that is akin to a tree, with various other smaller footpaths leading off it, tempting you to explore the different areas within the woods, within this mystical setting and walking on some of those footpaths will take you to various areas of Blidworth Woods, which are just waiting to be explored. This time though I walked this long path that was ahead of me, gently sloping upwards, for it is not steep, just a gentle and easy incline to walk up with mystical woodland scenes just waiting to be photographed.

A woodland symphony. 

A passage to middle earth.

A fallen tree leads on.

Delights everywhere for the long path from the car park, is one that most people avoid as they opt to explore the other parts of Blidworth Woods, but here I was walking up what seemed to be a never ending path of photogenic discoveries.

Eventually I thought I had reached the top of this gentle sloping incline and walking for a short distance it felt like I had, somehow with the path and the trees on either side a slice of paradise was found, the sheer size of those trees along with the textures and the colours was a sight that was beautiful, for this was nature providing just a little bit of artwork and that in it’s own rights is something amazing.

“Amazing isn’t it what nature can do? How often we ignore it, yet it really is the greatest example of art that we do not appreciate when really we should do. We should appreciate trees and woodlands, the shapes, the sizes of the trees and the amazing symphony the offer to us - best of all it is all free.”

Exploration of woodlands.

Looking back or looking forwards.

Woodland maze.

A track through a mystery.

The avenue of height.

Then after I had captured those photographs from the top of the main spinal path leading from the car park of Blidworth Woods, another discovery happened - “what goes up must come down” and sure enough the path that I was walking on slowly and gently began to go back down, another gentle incline and one that ended up in what appeared to be a small but perfectly formed hidden valley, a small one; but one which I had previously walked through on a crisscross path before Easter when it had snowed, by now I knew where I was, but the path I was on went straight on, and I just had to keep walking this part of the un-explored pathway through the woods.

Now in front of me a gentle incline, another one this time shorter and I keep walking up, more photogenic discoveries can be seen and they tempt me with the following photograph looking into the woods.

Define art?

Looking ahead in the woods.

The growth of trees.

Is this Endor?

For now which way?

A short while later and I reach the top of this short but delightful incline and now is another question, right or left? In the end, left it is and this time the greens look lush -- gone are the tall pines and other forest like trees, for this is woodland with interesting shapes and textures around that exist like a musical piece of theatre all in harmony with each other, all with different chords, keys that provide a symphonic piece of music within the mind.

Carrying on walking through these shades of green, the shapes changed, the trees changed and down another incline I walked down; this time it was slightly steeper but non the less the shapes began to change, for this was artwork and sanctuary right before my eyes a tree that was shaped like one of those Japanese fans, used to cool yourself down appeared to the right of me and I just had to capture it.

The shapes of simplicity.

A woodland pattern.

But that was not all, the delights where not over yet, the sun was just on the cusp of setting and the woodlands felt alive, for people who had been working where also enjoying the delights of the forest air, exploring it, walking, running, cycling in this area of magical surroundings that was something like a forest moon from a certain science fiction franchise - Endor, anyone?

Now I was on the approach back to where I had started from, a completely different route that I had walked this time, compared to when I was at Blidworth Woods, in April; just before Easter. But did it matter that I was walking on new grounds? No it did not as there was one final surprise and that was the light which just seeped through the trees, the rays of sun made for a final artistic display amongst these living pieces of art.

A woodland landing.

Avenue of light.

The orange glow.

Orbs of the woodlands

Amazing really that artwork is often thought as being a painting by one of the great classics, it really is not - art can be anything and it exists all around us at any given time, how it is perceived well that is up to the human mind creating a utopia, and for me a walk through the woods was utopia, seeing the nature and natural world providing me and others with this glorious artwork that is free, best of all without this natural art of trees then society would not exist, remember Trees do give us oxygen and contribute to human life as we know it, but the saddest thing is that we end up chopping them down for pointless political transportation projects that will have zero contributions to us as we know it…. HS2, yes excellent at destroying these beautiful pieces of natural art that we often forget - but perhaps now is the time we start caring about the world around us instead of trying to destroy it - perhaps if we did that the world would and could become a better place.

Yet somehow on this walk I found art, sanctuary and shapes within this small but perfectly formed woodland, often we ignore what is around us when walking, but if we slowed down and appreciated what was around us, we would eventually realize that as a society so much can be had for free, without the needs to spend and it is those simple things like a walk through the woodlands which is better than anything that can be purchased within this age of capitalism. Now is the time as we exit from the cycle of lockdown and the pandemic to really take a look at life and make our own little piece of utopia. For I have found mine and that is one of the best feelings ever, the simple things in life which are free and never taking life for granted.