At last, we finally had some snow in my little part of the world – it only lasted a couple of days but not having had any to speak of for about five years I wasn’t grumbling! I’d had in mind a trip to Old Sarum, an ancient hill fort and settlement predating Salisbury; it looks incredible from the air but at eye level it’s something of a photographic challenge.
The main site was closed (we grind to a halt with a bit of snow!) and as the weather worsened I trod a solitary path, following the earthworks in decreasing circles.
With each circuit the wind strengthened, the snow deepened and the ‘here and now’ slipped further away; a world of whispers that disappeared into a whiteout.
The rounded remains of the Bishop’s Palace struggled against a rising tide but ultimately it was only the steep defences of the ramparts that held their own.
Finally, as the light fell I reluctantly turned away, dug my car out of its drift and abruptly returned to the ‘here and now’, engulfed in traffic chaos in the gridlocked streets of Salisbury.
(All images are copyright to Noeline Smith)
