My Walk this Week 216 – Returning To What Was

My walk this week takes a look and a listen to what was at one time a railway track. Listening to the soundscape for the walk also means returning to the sounds we were used to pre-pandemic.

The old railway track could still be seen in places when we first moved here many years ago. Things have changed significantly over that time and this part of that old rail route has become a wonderful slice of wild woodland. Unfortunately I suspect its days are numbered as the ever encroaching local housing and road developments continue apace and I was sorry to find my way blocked by a building site.

The soundscape below could have been edited down further. Although there are few birds singing at this time of day, I still enjoyed the sound of the wind in the trees and even the nuances of the distant motorway traffic. Returning to what was, pre-pandemic, means inevitably more traffic on the roads, jet aeroplanes in the sky (listen carefully) and of course the sirens of police cars. This last one I decided not to include and is the point at which I stopped recording.

Old Railway Woodland Soundscape

 

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5 Comments

  1. I appreciated the solace and ease on today’s walk, Alastair. The greenery, foxgloves, creeping creeper, wildflowers, and texture images are beautiful. I especially liked the bee on the thistle. And the soundscape was a joy, as always. I am always astounded that you have flowing water, and wow, in mid-July. Thanks very much. Best wishes to you….

    • Thank you Jet. I have to say I am astounded at your astoundedness (is that a word – level of astound?) at our flowing water here in Wales. It makes me really curious about the soundscapes of your part of the world.

      • Right now in these dry times, what we hear, for instance in our yard, is lots of rustling. Dry leaves and bark pieces in the brittle, brown grass create a rustling. I can tell the difference, audibly, between when a bird is hopping and a reptile is gliding. Also wind in the pines and firs, bird songs (constant), hawk calls, buzzing bees. Tractors in the vineyards, construction sounds rebuilding post-fire. If you’re ever in this area, I will personally take you and your wife for a sound tour, Alastair…oh what fun that would be. 🙂

        • Your yard sounds fantastic and fascinating. Having just received a grant to develop my tapestry weaving with interactive sound, I now k ow what my next grant application will be for in a couple of year’s time – travel to California to compare aural environments. My mind is already working on it

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