The place pulled us here by it’s name. I mean, who wouldn’t wonder what a place called ‘Fairy Battery’ was like?
We were in great need of a little recharging magic, and so a sunny August Saturday we set off on our adventure. We weren’t to be disappointed.
Our starting point was the most beautiful valley just twenty minutes from where we live, in the West Pennine Moors, and I didn’t even know it was there.
Bilberry Gin
This place has everything I could possibly want on an afternoon stroll. On our approach we were treated to a lake, woodland and stream. We were greeted by a bountiful crop of mugwort to harvest, and yards and yards of bilberry bushes brimming with ripe berries which went into making bilberry gin. The heather had just stared to flower and was especially stunning.
We wobbled across stepping stones over crystal clear water, and weaved our way through ask and beech trees.
Then, as we approached the rock face we saw faces emerging out of the crevasses, sparking a conversation around who we could each see. On reaching the top we settled ourselves on a flat rock, just big enough for the two of us to lie on, and watched the clouds overhead, as we were kissed by the warmth of the sun.
A battery indeed, we felt ourselves re-energising on that sunny afternoon, from both above and below.
Extraordinary Places
Maybe in the realm beneath us, the faeries were doing just the same. Who knows!
I wonder how many more extraordinary places are out there on my doorstep that I haven’t discovered yet. Oh the adventures that are awaiting us on the West Pennine Moors!
Just the day before I had been sitting in Preston Museum Library surrounded by piles of Lancashire folklore books, delving into the mysteries of this rich landscape I am lucky enough to call home. The old stories, which have been captured for all of time, are now ripe for me to immerse myself in.
Such joys, which I hope to be able to share with you in future blogs and musings over the coming months and years.
I wonder.. I understand faces in tree.. As tree is alive.. What does that make rock? Is it that we form an impression on rock of what is in the substance of the place?. Sigh.. So much to learn so little time 🙂 Xx
Yes, so little time!
I wonder whether faces in trees and rocks are there to invite us to engage with the wood and stone energy. Just a thought.
Mmmm I wonder Jullie! I see faces all the time enticing me in…
Wow what a stunning place.
Love all the faces in the rocks, trees and the fairy door!
Yes, so little time!
Sorry – ignore my last comment (still figuring out how this blogging all works!).
It was such a gorgeous place Amanda – there are such treasures out there in the northwest countryside 🙂
Thanks for story … and so beautiful to see all the greeeeeenery.
You are most welcome Sue 🙂
What lovely examples of flora and Quercus-magical.
Notice how the heather clings to the beautiful rocks and displays a spiritual hue. Life flourishing in the most hardened of places.
The heather was so beautiful Mark – definitely right at its peak at the moment
Thanks that was like a breath of fresh air amongst the fog I fund myself in this morning!love you guys x
So pleased you enjoyed reading it Christine 🙂 x
What a magical place, I’d love to experience it. Please can you tell me where is it. Thank you for sharing xx
Its really close to Entwistle Reservior Adi, which is in the Belmount area. See if you can find it on the map, and if not get back in touch and I will send a photo of the OS map xx
Dryad spirit is so strong and wise, the journey you had sounds magical..and the space you found looks beautiful.
Thank you Chris, it is such a little find!
Sounds like a Magical place, you know we all have these special unknown places around where we live. I live in a land of Castles and History but I know nothing about my area except that Robson green made some great TV about it.
I am lucky to be about half an hour or less from Hadrian’s Wall and my first ever video of myself drumming was at a special place on Hadrian’s Wall where I enter the Lower World and I wrote my first Power song there, but there are so many other places open to us all.
Thank you both for sharing these Blogs.
A power song Ron from a special place – that is great to hear. It’s amazing how the land gives us these little gems when we go seeking them 🙂
In Northumberland a battery is a rock face or buttress. Someone must have felt the energy here to name it Fairy – and for it to stick so must other people before our time. I like that thought.