Exploring the local neighbourhood during lockdown!
In the first weeks of the UK’s ‘Stay at Home’ policy to counter the risks of contracting COVID-19, the ‘permission’ to go out for an hour’s exercise each day has provided the opportunity to appreciate my local surroundings more closely. There are not just rainbows and bears appearing in numerous windows but other changes, some subtle and some more extensive, to be observed.
Initially wandering around my neighbourhood on the edge of Winchester in the middle of the day, it felt very eerie such was the unfamiliarity of the situation being imposed on us all. The roads were quiet, no children’s play could be heard across the nearby houses from the school’s playground. Instead, a symphony of birdsong was no longer competing with the hum of traffic and other everyday activities.
Primroses bringing colour to the verge
The verges have been wearing the colours of spring. The trees and bushes showing off their varied blossoms – cherry, magnolia, more recently hawthorn and now the first glimpses of lilac, complemented by ornamental and fruit trees in gardens. Over the first few weeks of lockdown I have probably become more attuned to the sequencing of nature’s renewal than in recent years, when I have perhaps been more absorbed in rushing to and from the station or catching the bus into town.
Cherry blossom in all its glory
Too often I have rushed through the neighbourhood on the way to somewhere else and passed homes and small patches of ground without giving them much more than a second’s glance. Now by walking around the streets and pathways I’ve discovered just how many small patches of ‘no-man’s land’ there are, neither maintained by property owners or infrequently by council services. Being left as semi-wild corners, they have been alive with daffodils, primroses, clusters of bluebells or fresh nettles while birds raid them to gather nesting materials. Trees are gradually unfurling themselves into full leaf. The pink or white candle-like blossoms of horse chestnuts are awaited. Elsewhere gardens are being tidied and lawn mowing is clearly underway. I wonder if out of sight from the street, back garden meadows are being created or vegetable patches are being prepared?
Last days of magnolia blossom
It is not only the joy of seeing spring bringing everything to life, but the walks also provide the chance to notice the different architectural styles around the area, whether older properties or recent new builds. I realise I’ve hardly previously noticed some properties, such as a thatched cottage set back on a corner, as I would normally be too busy watching the traffic at the junction. Now I have become more conscious of how people have modified or extended their homes. There are more solar panels around, than I had assumed.
By trying to vary the walks and taking different routes, I increasingly appreciate how the character of the area has been slowly but surely changing and with it, perhaps, the demographics of the area. In those streets where the housing has been largely uniform in style, people have gradually put their own stamp on things. Sometimes the changes are subtle, other cases are more dramatic. They can range from basic home maintenance, landscaping and tree lopping, to building an extension, or a bungalow being demolished to make way for an infill development of three or four new houses that will add to the local housing density.
New homogonised greenfield housing development
Sadly, on the edge of the neighbourhood the development of a new estate is being built on a greenfield site. After a long campaign to resist the development of 2,200 homes and associated community facilities, it is fulfilling the district’s obligation to meet the national requirement for building more new housing. Unfortunately, the styles and materials being used are resulting in a largely homogenised appearance. While this no doubt helps to keep costs down and makes them more ‘affordable’, its unrelenting look does not enhance the overall approach to the city from this direction. A greater variety in brick type and finishes would have added greatly to the softening of the development.
My walks around the local streets over the last few weeks may not have left me with many more nooks and crannies to explore, apart from having avoided the narrow alley ways for social distancing reasons. I now feel the dynamics of the neighbourhood changing slowly before my eyes, not just in terms of its own character, but in the wider context of its place in the city.
The new King’s Barton neighbourhood taking shape
So, wherever you are during this unprecedented time, make the most of it by finding the interest in what your own neighbourhood has to offer, whether that focuses on nature and wildlife, or the built environment and housing. If you have small children, it is also a good time to reinforce the marvels of the natural world and the change of seasons. For those living in city areas where green spaces may be more limited, the emphasis will likely be more on finding interest in the urban environment, where looking up can often reveal previously unnoticed points of interest.
Creative support for the NHS!
Besides this hour a day providing opportunities to increase the familiarity with our own neighbourhood, the benefits are several. By combining a stimulated interest in one’s surroundings, some fresh air, contact with the natural world, a bit of exercise, a chance to have a chat with others from a safe distance, it can only help our mental wellbeing and alleviating any stresses we may be experiencing in these largely unforeseen times.
These ‘hours’ spent may well remain in the memory long after the pandemic has passed, and we may never pass over the smaller details and changes occurring on our doorsteps in quite the same way again. Go out for an hour and make the most of it!
