Locus iste
Latin gradual of dedication, based on the Biblical stories of Jacob’s Ladder and Moses and the Burning Bush
I walked out on the final day of this journey into the (mid) morning sunshine, clean clothes from top to toe (thank you, Sheila!), to the sound of the church bells ringing the quarter hour and well-tended gardens all around me to look at.
Sheila had recommended a canny little shortcut which avoided the steep downhill into Westbury Village and the consequent steep climb up out of it. The recommended road contoured satisfactorily, losing no height at all, leaving my mind free to appreciate the shape of this holly tree and the way the fairweather clouds hung behind it, which felt like a good omen for my last day.
The A4018 is one of the roads I usually take to drive into Bristol and is the sign that I am a mere couple of minutes from the city centre. But was good to take this particular journey into Bristol at walking pace for once. The moment I got onto Clifton Down I was back on grass again, following the long lines of lime trees pointing me all the way to the top of Whiteladies Road.
Clifton Down is an enormous public park space at the top of one of Bristol’s many hills, home to parkruns, funfairs, football leagues and acres of well-tended green space. The path was glorious soft turf with not a sign of dog mess. Instead there were lovely details to look out for, such as these little ipheion bulbs some guerrilla gardener had planted around the base of one copper beech tree,
the leaves of which were just starting to unfurl in the spring sun.
One sizeable seedling grew at its base, almost a sapling, and two hawthorn seedlings next to it were showing that given half the chance, Clifton Downs could completely rewild itself in a matter of a few years. The existing little thickets of woodland would soon expand outwards. It was a beautiful area.
The reality of course is more complex, and the long line of caravans permanently parked on Parry’s Lane housing around 800 people is a contentious issue locally. An article published earlier this month in the press explored the stories of some of the residents, whose reasons for becoming van-dwellers vary from having become homeless after a bereavement to living rent-free while saving for a deposit for a flat.
I turned off down the Whiteladies Road and was immediately taken out of the urban countryside and into the city proper, now surrounded by the cafés and restaurants of Cotham Hil I have enjoyed when coming down to visit Kitty, high-end shops selling sofas (yes!) beds (even better!) and places I could get my nails done, or a pedicure (oooooo!).
After yesterday’s Seven Eleven wasteland it was good to see proper fruit and veg on sale.
This was the land of artisanal bread, electric bike shops, and culture. First up was the grade II-listed Art Deco Whiteladies Picture House, now the Everyman Theatre,
and then I passed BBC Bristol’s Broadcasting House, another icon from my childhood. I was astonished to realise that I know its postcode by heart, from being invited for years by scores of television hosts to write in to ‘BBC Broadcasting House, Bristol, BS8 2LR’.
Finally, the Victoria Rooms, home of Bristol University music school, where I had thought until 9 o’clock this morning the concert would be taking place. Kitty casually happened to text that the St George’s concert hall was lovely to sing in and had a nice café, and I realised to my horror that I would’ve headed for the wrong place. Imagine missing the concert, after I had walked such a long way to get here!
I had promised myself a visit to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, a teeny bit of culture to top off my walk. Jon Kent gave me a big hello and welcome to Bristol, and certainly made me feel as though I had achieved something by giving me an exhibition sticker. Hello back, Jon, and thank you!
The current special exhibition is of ‘sea dragons’, the ichthyosaur fossils the first of which were famously found by Mary Anning (a heroine of mine). A map of ichthyosaur finds in the west of England showed that on the Gloucester day when I found the devil’s claw fossil amongst the smooth sea pebbles, I was walking across areas where early Jurassic rock now lies on the surface and where ichthyosaur fossils have previously been found.
The fossils on display were all fascinating: the beautifully-preserved 3D ichthyosaur, possibly surrounded by limestone nodules which prevented its body from getting crushed during the fossilisation process,
the once 10m-long squid-eating monster ichthyosaur (that would have surprised the anglers fishing the canal, for sure!)
And the most touching of all, an embryo ichthyosaur,
perfectly preserved in the position it would have lain in its mother’s body, displayed here looking up from underneath.
The museum was full of interesting things, including nods to the alternative forms of transport I might have used to get down here to the concert.
Speaking of which, it was time to get to St George’s concert hall. A pleasing symmetry, since St George’s Day fell on Tuesday, and I had certainly enjoyed seeing all the dragons in the museum.
There followed a lovely leisurely lunch in the café, a reunion with Kitty in between the last rehearsal and the concert, and a terrifically varied programme of music by the University Singers
A time to sit and rest— but also as it turned out, reflect on the last six long days walking the landscape from home to here. The first piece, a setting of ‘Locus Iste’ by Derri Joseph Lewis, spoke to my experience of walking — an all-encompassing sense of place which unfolds day after day and mile after mile with the path — this place, this place, this place
But the final piece, Mia Makaroff’s ‘Butterfly’, exploring the idea of the beauty of the natural world and the transience of life, brought tears to my eyes:
Sweet is the sound of my new-formed wings, I stretch them open, I let them dry, I haven’t seen this world before […] so fair, so bright, […] tomorrow I die
I thought again of Búran’s booming voice, ‘YOU MAKE LIFE!’
Every bit of it, worth the walk.
Stats for the Day
Distance: 5.58 km
Total distance: 120 km
🏴 Finis 🏴
Walking The Landscape 