Up on Solsbury Hill

When illusion spin her net... we are all where we need to be

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city’s ark
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Rooks flew after the larks

They were in a desperate race
Shut my mouth heard their voice
Smile was stretching ‘cross my face
Had to listen had no choice

I had to believe the information
Witnessed the Earth’s imagination
My heart going boom boom boom
Sun, she said: “Drop your things,
All you need’s this Earth we call home.”

May Peter Gabriel forgive my mangling of his lyrics. Solsbury Hill is a beautiful place to visit, even if you haven’t left the rock band Genesis in 1976 to go solo. It’s a short drive from the historic city of Bath, a few hours west of London, taking you up a one-lane country road where the trees meet, making a forest tunnel.

At the top, there’s a short but steep walk to the top of the hill, which is a nesting ground for threatened Eurasian Skylarks. They make a lovely racket, which you can listen to below; that’s from the Wikipedia Commons, not my recording.

We met a few dog walkers and heard a barn cat crying over a fence, and it was my first sighting of both the larks and rooks, which stalked through the grass looking for snacks. There are quite a few species of corvids in the United Kingdom, and I saw Jackdaws, Magpies, Rooks, Hooded Crows, Ravens, and Carrion Crows. Magpies are a favorite; they’re so beautifully patterned.

The city of Bath is aptly named for the Roman baths, which are a big draw. It’s also home to the Jane Austen Centre, where we had high tea. This was the first city other than London that I’d visited, and it was all right for a tourist town.

I spent almost a week in London afterward, from Camden and Aldgate to Primrose Hill, Kensington Gardens, Soho, Brixton, the old city, and more. I enjoyed the Old Smoke a lot, but I don’t think I’d live there. I enjoy long forays into wilder areas, and getting out of London itself, even by train, takes too long for my taste.

After Bath, we headed to the North, to the Peak District for a visit to Chatsworth Estate with friends, and then on to Lake Coniston—the longest lake in England—a secluded and beautiful spot where some speedboat records were set, and tragic accidents had in the process. We’ll go there next time, or maybe all the way to the Highlands.

To mangle Peter Gabriel further…

Wanna feel like part of the scenery?
Just walk right out of the machinery…
Your heart going boom boom boom
Sun, she says: “Drop your things,
All you need’s this Earth we call home.”