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komorebi
I’d never come across the word komorebi until a month ago, when it appeared in Creative First Aid
the Japanese word komorebi, which describes the awe and wonder of sunlight dappling through leaves, casting dancing shadows and bringing flickers of light to a forest floor
Then today, on a Forestry England sign during our walk along Haughmond Hill, there it was again:
The Japanese word komorebi captures the joy of dappled sunlight through leaves and the presence of small glimmers of light or hope which we can always find if we look closely enough
A lovely word for a lovely experience. I feel the universe is telling me to pay attention!
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Today’s walk: Forest and Abbey at Haughmond
The place we’re staying has a variety of walking guides for Shropshire. In Shropshire: A Dog Walker’s Guide, we found a walk of just over three miles through forest with an abbey nearby. After two hot days that had left Breezy struggling, somewhere shaded for most of the walk was a priority. This one delivered on that, and on heritage interest too.
Haughmond Abbey is managed by English Heritage and free to visit. The man on reception noticed us lingering over the information boards and came out to chat. He was knowledgeable and enthusiastic - sharing the idea that the abbey and its monks were effectively a business, owning mills and generating income, not just a religious institution. And that after the dissolution, the whole surrounding area suffered for it. Interesting thoughts, generously shared.
I was, as I always am when I see such buildings, struck by the engineering and craftsmanship. The scale of what remains is remarkable.
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Today’s walk: Snailbeach
Given how much Breezy had struggled in the heat on yesterday’s walk, we chose something shorter from Shropshire: 40 Heritage & History Walks. This one had all the hallmarks of a walk I’d enjoy: industrial archaeology, an abandoned lead mine, and plenty of history underfoot.
Snailbeach was once the biggest lead mine in Shropshire and, at its peak, said to be the richest in Europe. You wouldn’t know it now - the village is quiet, the mine closed in 1955 - but an impressive amount of the surface buildings remain, managed by the Shropshire Mines Trust.
We abandoned the route itself within half a mile - Breezy was still feeling the heat - and turned back to explore the complex instead. It was a good decision. Ruins, engine houses, a headframe, mine entrances still gated shut with track leading into the dark. Some buildings can be walked around; others are too unstable to approach. There’s a visitor centre, though it’s only open at weekends and we weren’t there on the right day.
What struck me most was how much remains. It’s the kind of place that rewards slow wandering.
