Part Six
Posted: 3 May 2020
You can use the Earlier Post link, above, to see the the first part of the journey around the island. Alternatively, you might prefer to start at the The Beginning of the tour.
Having got close to the nesting swan, we turn around and make our way back to re-join the circular path around the island. Compared to the 2015 Tour, the dark oak part way up the slope looks different. It's lowest branch have been removed as taller people needed to duck under them. The grass and moss on the path now grows all the way up to the junction with the main path.
Ahead, the old fence post still lies on the ground marking the junction. Otherwise, apart from the lack of growth at this point in the year, not much has changed on this part of the tour.
At the junction, it is still only the moss and grass covering the path that is different to five years ago. As before, we turn to the right and descend the slope to be close to water level on the side of the island that faces away from the cottages and catches the late afternoon and evening sun.
Five years ago this section of the tour lacked the chippings of the earlier part of the circular path. It's surface was the freshly dug soil held level by the log edging on the outer side. The logs are still there, with no noticeable rot and the path surface now is mainly grass. Still anxious to improve things and keep it easy to maintain, it is planned to trim the bank on the left with 9" high planking. This should help stop the soil constantly eroding onto the path.
As we continue round the bend, at this time of year we can easily see through the remains of last year's reed stems. Once more we are looking at the area of the lake ahead that we call "The Pool". To the left, with the summer vegetation not yet in full growth, you can see that we can again expect a bumper crop of foxgloves.
Finally, the path straightens and ahead we see the boardwalk that leads from near the bridge to what we now call "The Tree House". That confuses some people, who imagine it must be some aerial structure, but it's so named because of the six oak trunks that hold up the roof.
The Tree House started life as an idea for a "viewing platform", something that was raised above the ground and would provide a place to sit and enjoy a view of The Pool.
It was The Green Team, who were living on Hickling Marsh at the time who said they had access to some old oak trunks that could support a roof. It was their Andi's idea to arrange the six radial beams so that they leaned on each other. It was hoped that it would be ready for our wedding in September 2015. It wasn't but it was close enough for guests to see what it would become.
The Green Team's wedding present to us, the large heart hung on the reed panel wall is inscribed with replicas of all the well wishes jotted down by our guests on that day! It's a perfect place to relax and we use it from early spring to late autumn for barbecues.
Climbing the steps to turn to the west, I'm sure you'll understand why we like it so much and feel ourselves so lucky to have such a place. This view sees it at its best, in still air, so the reflections of the trees opposite are seen against the blue sky and the dappled spring sunlight provides an air of tranquillity.
Coming down the steps again we continue along the length of the boardwalk. It has a very slight gradient up towards the bridge back to the mainland. Can you call it that?
Reaching the end of the boardwalk we proceed forward to cross the bridge. Five years ago, before we had the deck of the bridge replaced, the balustrade extended towards us beyond the bridge, but we had no reason to replace it to match.
On our return across the bridge we'll turn right and retrace our steps towards the junction where a left turn takes us round the back of the reed bed, but not before taking the opportunity to see what's at the top of the steps facing us that we were promised a look at in Part One of the tour.
