Two
hours on the road and when I arrived at the car park, I was
surprised how full it was. I waited for awhile and wished for someone
to leave but had no single luck at all.
On
the way to Kingley Vale, I imagined a big car park with a few vehicles
and maybe, a steel entrance gate that would guide me into the heart of
the forest. But my expectations were all wrong! There were only private
fields, stinging nettle plants and a narrow pathway. Which was quite a
disappointment!
I was shocked and thought the trip to one of the National Nature Reserve (NNR) sites, Kingley Vale, was a complete mess. No, it wasn’t as there was a gem awaiting for myself!
It's
true that there was a wooden gate and handsome fields of barleys, wheat
and corn. But those were just twists to what really was in the abyss of
the forest. When I reached the main portal of the forest, I was in
deep shock to see beautifully grown huge trees like those in fairyland.
They were all robust and their long branches bent onto the ground like
the tentacles of an octopus. The dense canopy almost blotted out the sun
and there was a mysterious effect from the shining shafts of sunlight.
The fallen golden brown leaves covered the dry and dusty earth and it
protected our feet from getting dirty while I stood in wonder.
I didn’t stay for too long but I really appreciated that part of the
forest. Weaving my way through the maze of fallen branches I could see
ahead bright sunshine and green grass. It was a large area of grass
downland with shrubs and trees. I saw myriads of small colourful flowers
and old, tall yew trees which had formed like a palisade.
I was so hungry when I reached the field and my feet were weary too.
So, I laid the blanket and unpacked the food placed inside my sling
bag. The delicious food and liniment drinks saved my stomach and
recharged me too. I stayed and enjoyed the glory of sunshine on my face while listening to the sounds coming from the trees and birds.
After an hour of relaxation, I walked again and climbed-up the hillside
at the edge of the field. The incline was so steep, I felt giddy
looking down. When I reached the plain summit, I rested again to catch my breath and could feel the strong winds on my body. The clouds
seemed closer to me and also, I was stunned at how spectacular the
view of Chichester Harbour was from up so high.
It
was a very challenging journey that tested the resistance of my body. A day after, my body was aching and it took me two days
before I recovered fully!
*CLICK photos to enlarge
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