Paimpont Lake covers an area of 50 hectares (appx. 125 acres) and is surrounded by Paimpont Forest on three sides and Paimpont village on the fourth. It is a popular haunt for visitors who appreciate the footpath that runs around the northern edge. There has long been a project to extend the footpath so that visitors might walk around the entire perimeter of the lake and this last autumn the project was completed, although not entirely as expected by most people. In order to preserve the natural state of the habitat on the southern and western sides of the lake, only the minimum of work has been carried out to the natural pathways using materials sympathetic to the local environment. I walked the entire lake path this afternoon and here you see the path through one of the natural marshy areas close to the banks of the lake. If you were to slip and land in the mud, you would quickly find yourself embedded up to your thighs so care (and a certain amount of agility) is needed to complete the walk safely.
This appears to be a wonderful footpath for someone with more agility than I now possess. It's obvious from your picture that it is both beautiful and challenging.
How cool - kids too, would enjoy this - although not so pushchair and wheelchair friendly…. Nice shot - and the stepping 'stones' make for an interesting walk. Thanks for sharing this, as there might be places in NZ that could use the same idea.
What a gorgeous place for a walk despite the peril - I rather like the preservation and keeping with natural environment - wouldn't fancy falling though
I noticed that a while ago Mary. They're my lightweight carry-round kit - the 6 normally wears the Zeiss 16-70mm f/4 and the 7 the 10-18mm f/4. The more I use them, the more I like them.
It's beautiful. We have sawed off steps like these these for the girls to hop around on outside. They have been painted and colored with chalk and appropriately decorated. It is very fun but we don't land in mud when we fall. Is that the lake I see peeking through the trees? Looks like a good place to wash off. Very lovely. We would love it there I am sure!
I've just read your bio, so here I am following you now. I love your insight on the subject of the "everyday masterpiece" and totally agree. Funnily enough, I was just having a conversation around this theme with my other half just an hour ago. Well said.
What I am realizing about forests is that every single location in the picture is busy and full. This one could double as tropical, by the way; maybe it's the grass that makes me think this.
@francoise That's exactly right Françoise and it's the root of the problem. Often I reject images because they're just too damned busy, especially in B&W where the very similar tones just seem to blend together, leaving a fuzzy mess. Paimpont Forest is far from pretty: for several hundred years it was a working forest inhabited by over a hundred separate charcoal burners who produced charcoal for the foundries and forges which made Paimpont famous in the past. Originally it was a forest of broadleaved deciduous trees which produced a hot-burning charcoal, perfect for the foundries. When the emphasis switched to the forges, even more charcoal was needed and the 80 years that it took for a deciduous tree to get to the right size was too long, so the forest became mixed, deciduous and evergreen. The evergreens reach full-size in about 40 years and although the charcoal was of a poorer quality, it was fine for forging where not so much heat is required.
A nice view of the forest but imagine when you are there you are concentrating on your footing. I can a young boy just stomping in the water pools and having a grand time and then being a big mess.
Cool shot and love the backstory. Glad to see that such care of the environment was taken. Although I may have a different story if I fell in up to my thighs with my camera in my hand!! :)
