BIGADVENTURESON A SMALL ISLAND
WHENI GETINTOA HAMMOCK I AM
onaninstantgapyear.
Subliminally,I canhearreggaebeats
andtastepiñacoladas.I amcradledinto
a stateofperfectinner-calmastheEarth
andskyswayaroundme.Nevermindthat
+-,# $ 2 * "%#2 $0-+1.',,',%-4#0
andthehammockdepositingmeonthe
groundwitha bleedingnose.I love
hammocks.Oneday,I boughtmyown.
Fora while,it livedina remotecorner
ofmyshed,slept-inonlybyvisiting
1.'"#01 32 5'2&2&# 012 1'%,1-$ 1.0',%
softeningwinter’sgrasp,it wastimeto
takeit wildcamping.I wouldalsoneed
1 x sleepingbagand1 x tarpaulin.I would
need2 x sturdytreesandI wouldneed:
‘Ropestrongenoughtoholdtheweight
ofa humanbody,’I toldthemanatthe
1&-.', #2#01 #*" # 5 1, 2 130#
whethertocallthemurdersquad,soI
triedtoputhismindatease.‘I need to
hangit froma tree,yousee.’
TheSouthDownshasthemost
woodlandofanynationalparkinthe
UK– anditsmostforestedcornerlies
#25##, #2#01 #*" ," 03,"#* "
*5 71 5 ,2#" 2- 4'1'2 03,"#* 2&#"0 *
becauseofPhilipLarkin’sfamouspoem
An Arundel Tomb – an ode to two medievalThetripin statistics
25 mileswalkingfromPetersfieldto
Arundel
12 metresof ropeat £11.99(maxweight
120 kg)
25 minutesonwardtrainjourney from
Arundel to ChichesterForthistripyouwillneed
1 c o pyo fTheWhitsunWeddings,
PhilipLarkin
1 copyof OSLandrangermap 197
1 h a m m o c k (d i s c r e e t c o l o u r s a r e b e s t)WhatI’velearned
Notallthosewhowanderarelost.
Although some definitely are.2-+ #$ %'#1 -, 2&#'0 13.',# 12 2'-, 07
voyage’throughtime.Itseemedthe
perfectdestinationformyownvoyage,
aftera nightlyingsupine,stationary,
ina hammockunderSussexskies.
Withthenewropeinmyrucksack,I set
footontheSouthDownsWayonecrisp
Saturdaymorning.Theseasparkledto
thesouth.Thetrailmeanderedeastward,
2&# 13, 15#.25#125 0" ',2- +.1&'0#
andDorset,thedaydrewon,andvillages
andhedgerowssnuckintoshadowsthat
pooledunderthehills.I lookedfora place
topitchup.Wildcampingisnotstrictly
lawfulinEngland.Thebest advice goes:
arrivelate,leaveearly.
I foundmyspot– a mightyyewtreein
a hollow,whosebranchesdippeddownto
theground,forminga kindofsecretgrotto.
I riggedupthehammock.I don’twantto
saywhereit was,becauseI’mnotsureI
wasmeanttobethere– butit wasmagical.
Withinthreemilesofmypitch,Google
recommendedmultiplefour-starhotels:
withchampagnebreakfasts,pillow
menus,spaswhereyoucouldstewina
Jacuzziwithcucumberslicesonyoureyes,
king-sizebedsforwatchingking-sizeTVs.
Butnoneofferedtheviewfrommybed:
starlight glinting through branches,chalkroadsmilkywhiteundermoonlight,
thewarmglowofthepubatthefootofthe
&'** ," 12&# +--,"#. 02#" ," 2&#
pubshut,everythingwasthicklythatched
withshadows.Theworldbeyond
vanishedfromsight:theacre-sizedwood
1##+#"2- 120#2!&',2- , ', ,'27 -$
tangledthicketsandinky-blacknooks.
Sleepingupina hammockputsyouin
thefellowshipofothertree-dwellers
whosescurryingscouldbeheardbutnot
1##, , -5* &--2#"1- *-3"*7 '2 +'%&2
havebeeninthehammockwithme.
I sleptdeeply,andthenextdayI
5 *)#" 2- 03,"#* 0)', 1 4#01#1',
myhead:of‘lengthsandbreadthsof
time’,andtheturningoftheseasons
2&0-3%&5&'!&2&# 2-+ #$ %'#1 & "
slept.Thecathedralrosemightilyover
2&# *'22*#2-5, $2#0 +'*#1-$ 5 *)',%
I steppedinside.Ofthe famous tombs,
therewasnosign.
I checkedWikipedia:‘[Thepoem]
describesthepoet’semotionalresponse
toseeinga pairofrecumbentmedieval
2-+ #$ %'#1 ', &'!#0 2&#"0 * Stop,
Hammock Time
OliverSmitht r i esw i ldc a m p i ngw i t ha d i eren c e,p i t ch i ngu p
witha hammockin the dense forests of the South Downs
@OliSmithTravels
PHOTOGRAPHS:CHRISPO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, HAPPYPHOTONS/SHUTTERSTOCK, DIANAFINCH/SHUTTERSTOCK,NINOCHKA/GETTY IMAGES