Painting in the Magical Flitwick Moor
Just a forty-five minute ride northwest of London lies a small village by the name of Flitwick (pronounced Flit'tick), and on the northeast edge of town just a 10 minute walk from the station lies a magical moor by the same name. The moor has been set aside as a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) by the National Wildlife Trust because it supports a wide range of plants, animals, and insects, many of which are endangered species. Flitwick Moor is a flat, boggy area covered densely with trees, mosses, reeds, sedges, and wildflowers, and excellent footpaths and bridges. It was once a major source of peat and moss for the area. Agricultural fields on three sides that act as a buffer between the moor and housing estates, are under constant pursuit by developers, who would love to jam hundreds of homes right up to the edge of the moor. So far, the locals have managed to fight off such attempts, having won appeal after appeal, but the threat with big money behind it is always present. We all know that if we lose this battle this amazing moor will be completely ruined.
After years of observing the moor and discovering its ever changing beauty and character, it became my favorite place to walk, meditate, marvel at nature, and paint; I walk and sketch there almost every day in the summer months. The moor and its immediate surroundings are rich, diverse, and alive with flowers, birds, insects, animals, and interesting lighting phenomena that change every day. There is no end to the number of painting scenes, and I will show you some of these and my interpretations here.
One can read about the history, science, and politics of the moor on various web sites. [1] For many years during the last century water from the moor was sold as a medicinal liquid because of its high iron and mineral content and ‘healing' powers.
“Locally, the water became increasingly popular. People travelled long distances to soak cloths in the springs, which would then be applied to sores and even to cancerous growths. National recognition was inevitably slower; in 1885 'Flitwick Water' secured the highest award from nine scientific judges at the National Health Society's exhibition.” [2]
Local people are very much involved in maintaining, improving and protecting the moor [3] .
A Quick Tour around the Moor
You can enter the Flitwick Moor from four different paths from Flitwick, one from Greenfield Road, across from the old Flitwick Mill and three from Maulden Road. My usual entry is from Maulden Road at Moor Lane; take the public footpath at the end of the lane through an agricultural field. In the Spring this field is planted with barley, wheat, or beans, and its evolution from planting to harvest is fun to watch.
After years of observing the moor and discovering its ever changing beauty and character, it became my favorite place to walk, meditate, marvel at nature, and paint; I walk and sketch there almost every day in the summer months. The moor and its immediate surroundings are rich, diverse, and alive with flowers, birds, insects, animals, and interesting lighting phenomena that change every day. There is no end to the number of painting scenes, and I will show you some of these and my interpretations here.
One can read about the history, science, and politics of the moor on various web sites. [1] For many years during the last century water from the moor was sold as a medicinal liquid because of its high iron and mineral content and ‘healing' powers.
“Locally, the water became increasingly popular. People travelled long distances to soak cloths in the springs, which would then be applied to sores and even to cancerous growths. National recognition was inevitably slower; in 1885 'Flitwick Water' secured the highest award from nine scientific judges at the National Health Society's exhibition.” [2]
Local people are very much involved in maintaining, improving and protecting the moor [3] .
A Quick Tour around the Moor
You can enter the Flitwick Moor from four different paths from Flitwick, one from Greenfield Road, across from the old Flitwick Mill and three from Maulden Road. My usual entry is from Maulden Road at Moor Lane; take the public footpath at the end of the lane through an agricultural field. In the Spring this field is planted with barley, wheat, or beans, and its evolution from planting to harvest is fun to watch.
Flitwick Mill observed from the entry to Flitwick Moor at Moor Lane. The field is planted in broad beans here.
(From Point a on the map)
One of several paintings of the mill.
Entry to Flitwick MoorEntering the moor from here is like entering a tunnel into a heavily wooded area.
(From point a on the map)
Another path into the moor through the broadbeans (May, 2006)
Walking the path along western edge of the moor. (From point b on the map)
My first painting in the Moor-15”x22”, watercolour on paper.
Three different paths cross the moor, one at the south end, one at its center, and one at the North where Folly Wood begins. Turning right across the moor at the North end the path approaches a long boardwalk over a wet and muddy stretch near the river and passes over a bridge. Water always flows here and stains the banks and bottom of the stream with a bright red from the iron oxide.
Lighting Phenomena
Because the forest canopy is very dense the sun finds its way only through gaps and holes to light patches along the trail, resulting in a wide variety of intriguing and ever changing lighting phenomena that occur in narrow time bands during the summer months. One of my favorites occurs at this bridge. The bridge is shaded from sunlight except for a period of a few minutes in late June when the sun finds its way through gaps in the canopy and moves like a spotlight along the boardwalk until it reaches the bridge at about 8 PM.
In mid June, the sun walks down this boardwalk between 7:30 and 8:00 PM to light up the bridge and the tree beyond it.(From Point c on the map)
On the longest day of the year, the sun sets here in the northwest at almost 10 PM.
The only down sides to painting in the moor are the mosquitoes. They don't bother you as long as you are walking, but stand still for a moment in July and you are covered. Repellent is a must.
Several bridges like this one make great painting locations-15”x22” watercolour on paper.
The trail passes through a kissing gate [4] on the east side of the moor into a pasture then splits into several directions. Here my choice is to take another bridge that crosses into neighboring Maggot's Moor where the trail runs beside the River Flit in the village of Greenfield. From this point one can choose to take the trail to the village of Flitton, about a mile to the north or into Greenfield (for a pint at the Compass) or to continue on a circular walk along the River Flit back into Flitwick Moor and emerging from the moor at Flitwick Mill.
Kissing gate exiting Flitwick Moor into a pasture. From here the trail continues on to either Flitton, Greenfield (where you can have a pint at the Compass), or along the eastern border of Flitwick Moor.
Bridge from the cow pasture into Maggots Moor. The cows and bulls as well are all friendly. (From Point d on the map)
Changes with the seasons
Every month features a new show along this walk. The month of May is one of the most exciting times because the changes are most drastic. The areas around the moor explode in white with the blooming of the mayflower. Near the end of the mayflower season, the cow parsley covers the ground like a carpet of snow and the flowering elder trees become white. By September these flowers plus many more get replaced with colourful berries.
Mayflower, Cow Parsley, and Elderflower cover the whole picture with snow Mayflowers
The large meadow between Greenfield and Flitwick Moor along the River Flit is another dynamic part of the walk with amazing explosions of color as the summer progresses.
The meadow in May (From point e on the map)
The meadow in June
And then in July nature puts on a fireworks display with a large explosion of color. I am still working on the plan for the right palette and procedure to capture this period on a canvas.
The meadow in July
At the end of the meadow the trail again enters Flitwick Moor and the walk continues along the River.
Along the River Flit (From point f on the map)
Beautiful reflections make great painting scenes- 15”x11” watercolour on paper. This one hangs in a home in Flitwick.
From May to July the river is lined with thick groves of comfrey, another medicinal plant that was used for many years to treat various ailments. There are said to be over 700 varieties of plants in Flitwick Moor, and many make interesting painting subjects.
Comfrey growing along the River Flit
One curious plant is the stinging nettle. People cook and eat this stuff and make tea with it. But just touch it and you are in for a very unpleasant, stinging surprise. The tiny white fibers are coated with formic acid. And yet I watch insects crawl over it with no problem. You might have guessed; there are contests to see who can eat this stuff raw the fastest. It also develops a flower in July.
Stinging Nettles-Observe the tiny white hairs. Just touch one of these and you will feel the sting of formic acid.
Here is a Trolinger from the Flitwick Moor series that hangs on someones wall in Murfreesboro Tennessee. 15”x22” watercolour on paper.
Another Lighting Phenomenon
Moving back to the center of the moor, one can watch another lighting phenomenon evolve through the summer. A dirt road crosses the moor running west northwest terminating at Maulden Road. Looking towards the sunset (i.e. towards Maulden Road) the sun sets to the right of this road in the long days in June and to the left after July when days get shorter. A few days in July, like a natural Stonehenge, the sun runs all the way down the road lighting up the other side of the moor. This can only happen during a few days because of the way the forest canopy lies as shown in the next figure .
In early July the sun sets to the north of the road casting my shadow off the right. The next picture shows the view in the opposite direction two months later. (From Point G on the map)
The June and July phenomenon of the sun's rising in the north east and setting in the northwest takes a few people (who think the sun rises in the east and sets in the west) by surprise.
In September, the sun sets South (left) of the road. Only during a few days of the year does the sun make it through that hole under the tree that covers the road. In the previous picture the sun was located to the right of the road in the larger opening. We can call this a Flitwick Moor Henge effect.
August is harvest time. They harvested the broad beans and, to my dismay, mowed down the beautiful meadow, which by now was over six feet tall with beautiful weeds. In discussing the meadow with another walker, he commented, “It sure was nice to get all them weeds cut down. I couldn't even see the river. ”
Harvesting the broad beans.
August is also blackberry picking time. Blackberries grow all around the moor, and there is very little competition in picking them. That may be because the stinging nettles that grow amongst the blackberries add a little challenge. If you drop a blackberry into the nettles, forget you ever saw it.
August is blackberry picking time, Just watch out for the stinging nettles. They look deceptively like blackberry leaves.
A few more of the more colourful plant varieties in the moor are shown in the following.
Elderflower
Daisies?
Briar rose
Snow berries
Elderberries
Sloe berries. Ever hear of Sloe gin? This is the sloe part of sloe gin.
[1] The controversy and the battle to protect the moor from the onslaught by developers is reported by a local Green Party. The web site opens with a photo that I donated, one of many scenes that I have painted.
http://homepages.solis.co.uk/~jimella/green/moor.htm
More of the politics is discussed on the following page.
http://www.propertyspy.com/greenbelt-lost-at-flitwick.htm
A few technical details can be found on the Greensand Trust web page and others.
http://www.greensand-trust.org.uk/flitwickmoor.html
[2] http://www.greensand-trust.org.uk/flitwater.html
[3] http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory/projects_by_region/east_of_england/bedfordshire/two_moors_heritage_project/index.html#
[4] Kissing Gate-This gate is designed to prevent livestock from passing while allowing a person to walk easily through the fence. It has a swinging gate that allows a person to move into a small fenced box from one side by pushing the gate forward, then by swinging the gate in the opposite direction he can pass through. The name comes from the idea that a man can trap his lady in the box and demand a kiss for passage.