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Foss (or force), an old English word of Norse origins meaning Waterfall.
High above Wastwater a mountain streams flows down from the peaks through some of the Lake District’s most dramatic
countryside. From Nether Wasdale only one road leads in and out of this valley, it runs along the north shore of the lake
to the village of Wasdale itself - a good place from which to set out on the hiking trails that lead up into the hills.
Icy water cascades from lake-land peaks, down through gills and gorges to the arable land far below. These shady ravines, high on the
windswept hills, are oases of life in an otherwise harsh landscape. Tucked away in the folds of this rugged, mountainous terrain they
have a mysterious quality. A subterranean world exposed to the light of day - the kind of place, perhaps, one might expect to encounter
those proverbial “Little people”. Even the rich vegetation, clustered around the edge of this hidden world, is imbued with it’s own
mystical significance. Holly, Oak and even Ferns (recognized as ancient trees) are among the flora that Celts believed to have special
powers. This natural philosophy was codified into a symbolic language. Ogham, as it was known, had a phonetic alphabet of 21 characters
in which each “letter” - representing a specific tree, and a hand full of smaller plants such as heather - had its own special meaning
and characteristics. This language was common throughout much of the Celtic world. It emphasized the sense of inter-connectedness they
felt for the land and infused every aspect of life with a mystical quality. |
