Little House In The Big Woods

I arrived back from DC early this morning.  After a long nap I was desperate to get out into the fresh air and to go somewhere where we could enjoy the autumn colours.  It was grey and wet, raining on and off, but after being on a plane for many hours, I was not to be deterred.

I decided to take Dolly to a nearby woods that we've never really walked through before. This is part of Maidenhead Thicket, National Trust land, which I frequently pass along the A4.  It was well worth the visit, especially this time of year. The canopy protected us from the drizzle.

I love the carpet of leaves and I fell in love with this house and want to move in!  The title is from a favourite childhood book - 'Little House in the Big Woods' was the first of the Laura Ingalls Wilder series of books, written in the 1930s. My mum read them when she was a child and I also read them as a child. They were better known as the TV series 'Little House on the Prairie', the third book in the series, but I always loved the idea of really living in a little house in the big woods. This would be the perfect spot!

From the National Trust website - about the Robin Hood Arbour:
In the 17th and 18th centuries the area became notorious as a dangerous haunt of highwaymen who took cover in the dense vegetation. Tucked away in the middle of the woods, you’ll find the earth-banks and ditches of Robin Hood’s Arbour, a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM). Originally an Iron-age enclosure for cattle, this glade gets its name from the outlaws that later used the woods as a hideaway.