I used to love the cartoon of the Jules Verne book, “Journey to the centre of the earth”
The heroes followed the signs left by Arne Saknussemm who scribbled AS on the walls as he went underground.
On Saturday a bunch of us gathered on the banks of the Holy Brook to follow that underground. We had heard that security somewhere along the way had thrown people out in the past. So we said if anyone asked who we were we’d all say “Arne Saknussemm”
The water in the brook is low at the moment and although I haven’t done this walk for over 30 years I guessed it would be doable.
The first bit was above ground, in a narrow canyon, hidden from the streets by old high walls. The walls are all old and neglected and dripping with ferns. Brambles and Ivy reach down from above and we had to push a way through.
There were other obstacles. old tents, bicycles and of course shopping trolleys. It was the low arches that were the most challenging.
There were deep parts too, which we couldn’t all manage Climbing skills came in handy.
At first the low roof was a challenge but it soon became much harder.
There were long sections of low tunnels in shallow water. There were rocks and branches to dodge. It was completely dark too! And had some lovely spiders
We had to crawl through. It was really hard work but eventually we came to higher sections where we could stand up.
Occasionally we’d reach a patch of daylight. Hidden behind the buildings in the centre of town the sun shone.
They were only short though and it wasn’t long before we were back underground.
In 30 years since I last went down there it has changed. Under the Oracle is now just a giant pipe, it used to be a series of old mediaeval culverts. There was a kitchen window beyond that and for many years crockery was thrown into the brook and a reef had formed. It’s gone now, but there are lots of things that have been thrown in the brook in the last few hundred years.
There is of course stuff being thrown in all the time. A lot of it floats and we would disturb footballs and bottles that would float away ahead of us.
And then we came to the library and once under that we emerged behind the Blade
That forgotten and hidden away ancient little brook had been appreciated once more.
After we got out we heard a Raven calling. “Best day ever”
Rural Reading 