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Woodland Spirits
Herstmonceux Castle
Dedicated to...
Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex, UK
Look closely and you may see more than you thought possible.
Spotting the 'Spirits' that lie within the woodlands of the castle grounds can be tricky but they are there. They are as real as you and me. They remain hidden, but only from those who choose not to look for them!
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A gargoyle-like figure or perhaps a court jester looks towards the castle.
It's the eye that caught mine! It seeks quickly to blend in with its surroundings, with limited success!
This old boy wakes, his eye intensely focussed on the danger to his left.
There are many figures reaching out to me here. The dominant figure, a monk or medieval knight, carrying a variety of creatures in the folds of his habit / cloak.
Once again, it's the eye, although closed, that gives its presence away! But what woodland sprite is this?
He was right to be cautious, as the arm of a neighbour makes a grab for him.
This little creature makes a bolt for its hiding place. Now look down into the darkened interior of the trunk in the photo on the left and see if you can spot the dark figure, its right arm trying to adjust something on its left shoulder.
Don't step over discarded logs on the forest floor without looking at them carefully, for you may see the image of man's best friend.
A woodland dinosaur of the triceratops family? A tree revealing its prehistoric ancestry perhaps.
A golden retriever ?
Who could blame a thousand people for walking past without noticing the image on the bark. It is clearer under a sepia tint. It may not be Che Guevara this time but maybe you can put a name to this woodland spirit, if indeed you see it too?
Just a discarded section of wood, but look closely...
Closer still.......
Look closely at the rich tapestry of this woodland bark. Can you see him? Clearly, he doesn't want to be spotted but who is he?
The hand of time. Notice the long elegant fingers and the crocodile's 'eye' at the top of the middle finger!
An elderly Oscar Wilde? Ian McKellen perhaps? It helps if you slowly narrow your eyes to a slit so that you are looking through your eyelashes at the image before you.
Look carefully: can you spot the beast? It rests but is soon to be roused by a.....
A bird of prey?
...beam of sunlight.
A stoat or weasel?
This griffin-like creature decides it's time to build a nest...or perhaps to flee it!!
A monkey? Whatever it is, it's a master of disguise.
The Wooden Horse of Troy?
As you explore the woods, there are "others" who reside there, looking back at you! See if you can spot them on your next visit.
Let me give you some clues.....
Although you can see only half a face, this sprite is looking slightly to the right, a clearly visible right ear having caught the sound of movement through the wood.
It's an old ploy - pretending to be asleep. Raising the head high enough to allow the right eye to catch a sideways glance of passing visitors, camouflage provides all the protection required to satisfy its curiosity.
Woodland owls don't come much bigger than this!
Another shy spirit of the woods watches for danger, its right eye and pointed nose clearly visible
Is this a little muntjac deer or a fox that has 'spirited' itself away into the natural hollow in the bark?
Deer and fawn?
With a left eye clearly visible, a sly peek through a gap in the bark is enough to keep this sprite at bay.
Ever vigilant, this weasel-like enigma remains motionless, until all is quiet, before re-entering its lair.
Another castle owl with superb powers of camouflage?
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This sphynx-like image illustrates how stone and wood both give way to decay over the centuries.
When I first spotted this, I thought immediately of Edvard Munch's famous painting 'The Scream', with its unique flowing curves and twists.
A fond farewell or initial meeting?
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Even clouds can conjure up images and hone the imagination, their shapes constantly evolving in the wind. I was quick to capture this image of a cloud passing over the castle. With the benefit of a sepia tint, you might notice a face beginning to take form as 'it' drifts across the sky from left to right.
The Folly, Herstmonceux Castle.
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