This Quiet Place has, and probably always will be, a personal favourite with the Cariad Wellbeing team. Squeezed in between prime sheep farming land just off the ‘Kinton Loop’, this unprepossessing bridleway/footpath takes you swiftly up into the peaceful woodlands and hills behind the pretty hamlet of Kinton, North Herefordshire.
Beautiful in all seasons in its own way, this is a fantastic place for reflection, meditation and the opportunity to adopt nature as co-therapist. Heavy rainfall in Autumn changes the footpath as water rushes off the hills and fields, streaming downwards in never ending torrents. It carries broken branches, leaves and other detritus of late Summer. The sound of running water creates instant salve for the soul, while the smaller bubbling brooks and rock pools are quite enchanting. In Winter, the trees are largely bare, but still provide sufficient cover to keep the snowfall off the paths. The slow climb to the top of the hill is both liberating and wild. Tracks on the ground speak of pheasant, rabbit and hare as the trees above bend in unison to the wicked Winter winds. The distant plaintive mewing of buzzards looking down upon a world of whiteness. Later in Spring the trees have budded again, the wild flowers have emerged, the verges are a profusion of cow parsley and pollen, and the lambs gently gambol in the undulating fields and natural grasslands. Above, huge buzzards soar silently, expertly riding the thermals. All is calm save for a light breeze which rustles among the myriad leaves in the woods. You can sense the forest breathing. The swifts return as Summer sun dapples the dusty floor, the footpath remaining cool and inviting under the woodland canopy. Where the constant movement of trees and erosion hit hard, the path is worn back to reveal its rocky strata, as squirrels scamper across the shady stones. Sounds are more muted and muffled, calm pervades once again, as the footpath waits for another season to begin.
So where are your quiet places? Drop us a line.
Photo - Dave Fletcher
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