Terminalia: Salt Way boundary walk

I met up with artist and friend, Rhiannon Evans, for a Terminalia walk on 23 February. We selected Salt Way path for its history and because, for years, it has formed a natural boundary line between town and countryside. Its landscape is gradually shifting, with parts of the path now passing through new housing estates. We slow walked the area near the fields and trees, climbing over a brook into a small patch of woodland.

It is an area we both know well and have previously walked together as part of an international collaborative artist project. Our thoughts returned to this previous walk and our artwork and writings on it, and we reflected on the changes to the landscape. We talked about art, boundaries, the significance of Salt Way, and of salt as a material. Not having seen each other for a while, we spent a lot of it just walking and talking and generally catching up.

Walking slowly, we noticed twigs scattered all over the path from a recent storm, and wondered about trying to use them as direction markers. The stream was more noticeable without its summer foliage hiding it from view. The small woodland area no longer had the feel of a secret hidden spot to wander in but looked like it had been ‘tidied up’ with a track leading a line through to the road. We paused to look at all the different lichens and mosses, with Rhiannon’s botanical knowledge coming in handy for identification.

Back home and looking through my photos, I was struck by an image of barbed wire entangled on the woodland floor, contrasting with the ground foliage and freedom to roam. Another image, a close-up of the reflections and movement of the stream, felt somehow representative of our walk. In bringing together trees, nature and sky, it also hints at what is outside the frame, reflecting our conversation, the presence of the path and its surroundings. 

I picked up a long stick to help me get across the stream. Without realising, I still had it when I headed home. I’m debating whether to keep it as a walking stick, make charcoal from it to draw, or return it back to the path.

Terminalia is the ancient roman festival of landmarks and boundaries.

This walk was in response to an invitation from Kel Portman and Walking The Land to take a walk along a boundary on 23 February. (Read more about my work with Walking The Land here).

Every year, Terminalia – Festival of Psychogeography takes place on 23 February with a range of events across the UK and the world.