DocsDoctor Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Tiger had another nice day out on Friday, helping me lead an extra WI group walk. As it was November it seemed the right time to check out Langley Vale Wood, one of four woods created in 2014 by UK charity the Woodland Trust to mark the centenary of the First World War. This one's just outside London, on the Epsom Downs, and is the biggest, at just under 650 acres. Formerly the site was farmland, and it remains quite remote, with no facilities as yet - not even a carpark. But it is next to Epsom racecourse, home of the original Derby, so I was able to find us a nice circular route from Tattenham Corner, the nearest railway station. That took us through the racecourse as well as the wood, with lovely views of the Downs. The wood's intended primarily as a nature reserve; it's already been planted with 180,00 young trees, but other areas will be left as grassland. There are also some artworks - here we are inspecting 'The Regiment of Soldiers,' with me holding Tiger on his lead and bossily pointing another soldier out with my other hand. There are twelve of the sandstone soldiers, commemorating Lord Kitchener’s inspection of troops from the 2nd London Division of Kitchener’s New Army nearby on Epsom Downs, in January 2015. They had to wait for him for hours, in a blizzard - some hadn't even been kitted out with their uniforms yet. This one is still in his civvies including a flat cap: The faces are all deliberately left unfeatured - not individual portraits, but Everymen. Now of course they also recall people wearing masks. We were definitely impressed, though being the Women's Institute we couldn't help feeling that it would also have been nice to have recalled the WWI contribution made by women as nurses, munition workers, etc. Hopefully the Woodland Trust will do that somewhere else on the site in the fullness of time. We were also very taken with 'Witness' by John Merrill which is made from 35 pieces of English green oak slotted together, and carved beautifully with inscriptions taken from various WWI war poets: Jutland Wood commemorates the Navy and individual ships that were lost: Finally, a shot of part of our route back, through some lovely autumnal woods: In an ideal world Tiger would I am sure want me to include as well photos of *his* two most exciting walk highlights - the first being the young thoroughbreds in training he saw on the racecourse at the beginning of the walk (and who galloped on too fast for any of us to get a photo!), and the second the plate of complimentary 'dog sausages' that the kind waiter at a cafe in Tattenham Corner produced free of charge for him and his lurcher girlfriend at the end of the walk. They were sliced-up left-over human food, and the two dogs were very polite about taking them in turn from me as we sat over our own lunch! Thanks for looking! Quote Clare with Tiger (Snapper Gar, b. 18/05/2015), and remembering Ken (Boomtown Ken, 01/05/2011-21/02/2020) and Doc (Barefoot Doctor, 20/08/2001-15/04/2015)."It is also to be noted of every species, that the handsomest of each move best ... and beasts of the most elegant form, always excel in speed; of this, the horse and greyhound are beautiful examples."----Wiliam Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatterseaBrindl Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Wow! Quote Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi. Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie), Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patsy Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 What an incredible place and I'm loving the dog sausages. Quote Patsy and DH with the Humane Society specials, Linus & Jazz, in North Dakota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 What a beautiful place. I wonder what kind of trees were planted -- deciduous? evergreen? mixed? I like how the ones planted with the sandstone sculptures are in rows, like soldiers, and will eventually tower over the human figures. Particularly struck by the sandstone sculptures and "Witness." We don't need a picture of the sausage eating -- we can all imagine the dogs with their bright, intent eyes holding themselves back ever-so-politely until their turn. Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocsDoctor Posted November 22, 2021 Author Share Posted November 22, 2021 55 minutes ago, EllenEveBaz said: What a beautiful place. I wonder what kind of trees were planted -- deciduous? evergreen? mixed? Virtually all deciduous, Ellen; mostly broadleaved native species, to match the pockets of older surviving woodland on the site. That's what's been planted round the soldiers, though another nearby has been planted up as a community orchard with lots of different fruit trees. You can read more about the plantings here. Quote Clare with Tiger (Snapper Gar, b. 18/05/2015), and remembering Ken (Boomtown Ken, 01/05/2011-21/02/2020) and Doc (Barefoot Doctor, 20/08/2001-15/04/2015)."It is also to be noted of every species, that the handsomest of each move best ... and beasts of the most elegant form, always excel in speed; of this, the horse and greyhound are beautiful examples."----Wiliam Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spottydog Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Thank you for taking us along with you on your walk. Particularly liked the oak wood sculpture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remolacha Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 What a beautiful walk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseyGrey Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 These are lovely photos from a beautiful place. I think there have been so many wonderful and diverse ways of commemorating WW1 for the 100th anniversary of the Armistice and I’m glad that there are permanent ones like this, and so happy the Woodland Trust got involved and did it well (I am biased; I am a member!) Quote Buddy Molly 🌈 5/11/10-10/10/23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyRunDog Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 I agree, what a beautiful place. Grace would enjoy it too as she can walk on the soft grass and not cause her corns to give her pain. Quote Grace (Ardera Coleen) b. 18 June 2014 - Gotcha Day 10 June 2018 - Going grey gracefullyGuinness (Antigua Rum) b. 3 September 2017 - Gotcha Day 18 March 2022 - A gentleman most of the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBass Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 My sister and I were fascinated by the sculptures. I appreciate that you take the trouble to share your fascinating walks with us. Dog Sausages! Quote Lucy with Greyhound Nate and OSH Tinker. With loving memories of MoMo (FTH Chyna Moon), Spirit, Miles the slinky kitty (OSH), Piper "The Perfect" (Oneco Chaplin), Winston, Yoda, Hector, and Claire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercsmom Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 On 11/22/2021 at 7:29 AM, BatterseaBrindl said: Wow! That's exactly what I was going to say. Quote Momma to Jupiter. Mummy to my Bridge Angels, Mercury and Liberty, the world's best blackngreylabhound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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