Wrapped up in nature

Puzzle Wood, A Willow Maze and Inspiration for a concept 

  

Visiting Puzzle wood, the other week was a pleasure, it was organised through the botanical society. I live about 15 minutes away, I remember visiting when I was a child but can’t remember much, so was a good new experience. 

This willow weaved maze first caught my eye. It was the first thing you saw when walking from the car park to the woods. 

I've been looking at rivers for a concept for my Design project Castle meads and have been really struggling with translating my concept of the River Severn flow and translate it into a master plan. 

Though I have already visited my concept on numerous occasions, at times it felt like a dead end. I've recently picked up on a term 'Design Loop' where you revisit previous work and redirect yourself. It gives you a chance to stop and check you are not too broad with a concept, Its redefining the meaning and vision of the site. I think that's where I am now. 

 

However, with the willow maze, at a point of where I was at a dead end of a concept, I went on this trip and found inspiration. A different viewpoint on the term ‘Flow’ and the realisation that the flow of water doesn’t always have to be represented through water. It can be things that mimic it, for example the willow that twists and wraps and brings excitement and movement into a still landscape.  

I am going to take the idea of mimicking water forward with my design, planting, fencing, pathways will all express a flow, a journey and excitement within the landscape.

The lesson that I learnt here was when you’re not looking for inspiration, more often than not, you will find it. And as well when you’ve hit a design ‘stump’ walk away, let your mind relax, and you will see inspiration in almost anything!

The beautiful willow maze form