Viking Mist Trees!

Waking up just before dawn a few days ago (or was it last week? I'm getting on a bit now you know, the memory's not what it was!)...

So, er, waking up one morning early in October (oh crikey, I suppose it could have still been September then?)...

Right, waking up early one autumnal morning of recent days (yes!), I peered out of the window to see that it was really misty but that it looked like the sun might be able penetrate through the murk to cast some nice eerie light around nearby Viking Field.



Now used by the dog walkers of Wokingham, and of course by early bird photographers, (who still haven't (well, I haven't) managed to capture any early bird photos of any particularly interesting early birds over there!), Viking Field is exactly what it says it is on the display board.

It's a field and the Vikings were there once upon a time!

An archeological dig at the site a few years ago revealed a few signs of ancient habitation; Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and, of course, Viking.

There have been countless other folks using the field over the centuries I'm sure, but we're inundated with Roman place names and references round here, and 'Modern Field' doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it? ('Iron Field' is little better, and 'Bronze Age Field', though quite attractive still doesn't have the same excitement and mystery as 'Viking Field'). There is a long barrow separating Viking Field from the playing field behind it, but it's origins are, I believe, pre-Viking.

Anyway, it's a very old field and has that mysterious quality of a very old field, and so seemed the perfect place to go on a misty, autumnal morning. The sun did try quite hard to burn through, but only really managed to lend an atmospheric air to the ancient field. It was almost liquid in some magical kind of way. The air glowed and the misty vapour sparkled with colour as it enveloped me and engulfed the trees.



It was a joy to be there that morning and, despite the obviously new planting, there was something ancient and eternal about it too.

The field was bequeathed to the town by a Mrs Henagulph in 1997; I hope her vision remains and this field maintains it's air of mystery for centuries more to come. Please, please, please don't ever let it be developed!!!!

Rebecca, x

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