the Dark Walks – dusk and dawn at seven trees of The Long View – taking a closer look, tree by tree. We begin with the Wasdale Oak … Read More
the Dark Walks : Collecting Greys
Rooted Well: Red at the Rowan
In Cumbria when Herdwick sheep are prepared for shows they are traditionally spruced up with ‘red’ – a powder that is thickened with oil and rubbed on their backs. The use of Show Red is a sign of pride and celebration and builds on a practice of marking sheep that dates back centuries. Every flock… Read More
Back from the Dark Walks
The day after midwinter’s day and we’re off the hills, sitting in the warmth of Tebay services enjoying a decent coffee and watching the weather through the window, and just wanted to share a few pictures and thoughts before we head away from our computers again for Christmas. All through last night and when we… Read More
In anticipation of the dark
The year is drawing towards its shortest day here in the northern hemisphere. It seems a natural time to slow down, to enter a sort of hibernation and withdraw, settle into a kind of sleep. But for most people there isn’t a slowing down. Rather there’s a final push of hard work to get the… Read More
When the time is right
the leaves don’t wonder whether to let go or not, they just fall when the time is right As it is with all our work outdoors, we revisited the site the day after installation to see how things were going. We had hung the leaves on the Little Asby Hawthorn in a glowing sunset and… Read More
From the Heart: Green – the third installation
We’re just back from quite an amazing afternoon. Today the Little Asby Hawthorn had a transformation. It has been leafless since late October: high on the limestone scar of Little Asby Common winter comes early. This afternoon, we added a fresh canopy of leaves to it, each leaf carrying a memory, a story or a… Read More
A Tale of two Sundays
On the last two Sundays we have forsaken the warmth of a cosy bed and headed out into the cold. We wanted to share what the trees witness: darkness, stars, the quiet of night, the half-light that comes with a full moon in a cloudless sky, and the coming of day. We were rewarded with… Read More
One year on: trees, meetings and meanings
It has been a year since we began our repeated walks to these seven trees. Winter’s rains, winds, snow and frost have played with each one; a spring has teased new life into them and turned the land around them from pallid sleep to green; summer has given them warmth and light; and autumn –… Read More
Layers of Gold
When autumn days are clear and warm, as they have been for the last week, the land comes alive with shades of gold, and the low sun picks out and burnishes the land. On Monday for our public walk to the Langstrath Birch we strolled for five hours through this vibrant landscape, always with the… Read More
Rising: poetry in place
Yesterday was one of those autumn days when golds, reds and greens become dazzling against a bright sky. Glencoyne Woodland was dreamy – sunlight making the canopies of ash, oak and sycamore leaves a play of translucent colour. Once again the weather forecast was spot on, and our choice of day to hang the orange… Read More
THE LONG VIEW 