8th: Coopers Hill – Gloucestershire

Upon first arriving at Cooper’s Hill the first thing that strikes you is the hill. From the car park you can see beech trees clambering up the slope, making it seem a whole lot easier than I thought it would be to climb up there. We had arrived in an area of ancient beech woodland, but it takes a bit of walking before you get to the ancient trees.

Once we were there though, we really knew about it. It felt old.

There was a wonderfully, majestic, oppressive atmosphere. It’s hard to describe in words, so hopefully my art will be more effective, but it was a mixture of grand, huge trees, that filled you with a healthy dose of awe and a dark, almost sinister feeling, yet it filled you with peace. There was constant chatter of birds, of various species and yet it also felt incredibly quiet and still. The weather probably had quite a bit to do with that as it was a very cloudy day, although the sun did burst through the trees occasionally, but the overall feeling was of gorgeous darkness. As I type I find myself thinking of a dark, candle lit cathedral.

This does give me a bit of a dilemma, as my art is normally all about light, so this one may be a challenge. However, there was a unique feeling to the imposing cathedral like pillars of the beech trees that I’d love to try and capture, if I can…