…in the early hours of the morning I left the house with my sketchbook and set off across the fields at the back…
towards the portal that appears to separate/define two distinct areas within Glazebrook, reality as in now and the 'history within us'
Walking through the portal I find myself within the grounds of Little Woolden.
A flood plain.
The original name of this area is derived from Vuluedene - meaning 'Wolf Valley'.
pass through some portal or cross over some event horizon..
I walk on steadily, continuing my journey toward the main portal, and then I pass through to the expansive fields where all the houses come to an end. In that moment, I can't help but feel as if I have somehow traveled back in time, immersed in a sense of nostalgia and history that envelops me completely.
wolf valley
looking back you can see the 'glazebrook' which runs through the village and surrounding areas.
I have always felt that the ground I'm standing on, while making these notes and rough sketches, possesses a certain ‘something’ strange and enigmatic. It feels as if it is out of sync with time, yet somehow connected by a rich history of life, living, and farming. There’s a deep, pervasive essence here that speaks of the past. However, there is nothing here at present, other than a few horses that stand nearby, watching me with an air of suspicion, as if they are curious about my presence and what I might be doing in their quiet domain.
is everything as it should be?
At my side is the original signal man's hut, a wooden structure that stands high above and overlooks the railway line. I have no idea if this small building is still in use today; I don't think there are signals on trains anymore, and it certainly appears to be completely abandoned and untouched by time. The peeling paint and overgrown grass surrounding it further suggest a long-forgotten purpose.
still points in a turning world
in 1986 and 1988 - Vuluedene (Wolf Valley, Glazebrook) became the subject of an extensive archaeological excavation.
