I had tried yesterday, but came back to St Ethelwold’s Garden this New Year’s Eve, intending to capture a December view for the final monthly visit to the garden through the seasons. But the wrought iron gate was shut. As the sky deepened from grey to blue, I could see the gravel path, the bare vines of the wisteria, a bicycle on the rack inside, and trays of moss on the table where there is usually produce and second hand magazines.

This closed gate will open again soon — perhaps not immediately, but in the days to come. The garden is having a rest from visitors at a time when we all pause between ending one year and beginning the next.

I could have knocked on the door and asked to look round but it was getting late. The closed gate recalled Minnie Louise Haskins’ famous lines:
“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

Over the years, I’ve carried out these monthly visits in different places — first Barton Fields, then Abbey Fishponds, Radley Lakes, the River Ock, and this year, St Ethelwold’s Garden. For next year, I’m considering “Monthly Eco Initiatives” with One Planet Abingdon, or perhaps documenting the seasons at Albert Park month by month, or perhaps both.

Here is the view of St Ethelwold’s Garden from Nags Head Island as of yesterday. The peace pole and owl box were visible as was the wharf wall that has been recently cleared of vegetation. Volunteers discovered that the wall is in a poor state of repair and at risk of partial collapse during flooding. Addressing this issue is among the projects planned for the next year or so, alongside installing a disabled toilet and restoring the south gable wall of the house. Community support will be vital in the year ahead. For more details, see the October newsletter.