Bridges

Anywhere there are paths and water, there are invariably bridges to carry the paths over the water.  Milton Country Park with its ten bridges is no exception.

Dickerson's Pit - 12 June 2015

In the height of summer, the bridges, like this one over the inlet at the north end of Dickerson's Pit, almost disappear in the surrounding vegetation.  The bridge forms a small focal point in the rich tapestry of various shades of green and contrasting textures typical of the English countryside at this time of year.

North End of Dickerson's Pit - 19 August 2015

In this image, the same rich vegetation is encroaching onto the bridge itself, and making it difficult to see the water below.

Bridging Environments

Tomkin's Mead - 19 June 2015

In many cases a watercourse marks the boundary between two areas or environments.  In this case, the bridge spans a small stream marking the boundary between the main park and Tomkin's Mead.  Here it is shown from the Tomkin's Mead side looking towards the rest of the park.  In the summer, the visitor walking through Tomkin's Mead over this bridge and into the main park would notice little difference in the environment.  The trees and bushes are as luxuriant in both areas.  Perhaps, the most noticeable difference, is that the paths in Tomkin's Mead are a lot muddier.

South East Corner of Dickerson's Pit - 29 June 2015

In contrast, this bridge over the thirteenth public drain links two very dissimilar environments.  This photograph was taken from Remembrance Meadow with its war memorial, mown grass, and formal arrangement of trees.  Over the bridge is very different.  The path is lined by some of the tallest trees in the park, in no particular pattern, and many of which lean at crazy angles.  Beneath the trees, fallen trees and logs lie rotting in amongst a carpet of brambles, ivy and nettles.  For dogs, the bridge marks a similar transition from the constrained on-lead environment of Remembrance Meadow to the off-lead free running regime of the park north of the drain. The trees on the banks of the drain, dark against the sunlit vegetation behind, form a curtain between the two areas.

Bridge and Divide

Hall's Pond - 15 June 2015

As much as bridges join, they also divide.  Walk over a bridge and the water beneath is split between that which is on the left and that which is on the right.  Between upstream and downstream.  Mostly, the differences are not significant, but in Milton Country Park the two sides can have very different characters.

In the direction of view, to the right of the bridge shown here is the open water of the majority of Hall's Pond.  To the left is a small semi-circle of water at the base of an amphitheatre of trees and which is always dark.

Similarly the first two bridges shown in the post are very different on their left and right hand side.  In the first image of the bridge over Dickerson's Pit, nearer to the viewer is a small inlet barely visible in the picture, beyond the bridge is the wide open expanse of the main body of water.  In the second image, the bridges span two channels between Dickerson's Pit (on the right) and the smaller Deep Water (on the left).

Next: Using New Eyes Part 3