All Roads Lead Home S01E01: Temporarily Unaware of my Location

Or at least that's the first thing we learn in All Roads Lead Home the three part programme about Natural Navigation! In layman's terms, this would be LOST!

So in the beginning we learn that the sun rises North East and sets South West. Secondly we learn that the prevailing wind in the UK is South West - this is the most common wind.

In the first episode we follow the team navigating in Cornwall. The home of Sue Perkins.

In the first leg of this trip, they start at The Minions, a place that Lucy and myself recently walked, with the plan of finding the Cheeswring.

A principle that they were trying to apply is the idea that the tops of trees will be slightly bowed by the wind. Turning in the opposite direction of the bend you should be facing South West-ish. In places with very strong wind and open areas, the whole tree may have grown with the wind bending it, which is much more helpful than just the tops bending!

Next we learn about dung. The South-side dries first, with the North being moist for longer. The dung leads the way and before they know it they've made it to the Cheesewring!

The second leg places them in Falmouth with the navigation aid of religious buildings, in this case a Church. With altars normally facing East.

We learn that looking at fields, we can sometimes see buffer strips next to woodland. This is left to grass as the sun from the South can't make it through the trees, sometimes even grass doesn't grow so you may see soil.

We then learn that some plants follow directional rules. Like growing leaves East to West or only flowering on a certain side.

Leg the Third, has the team following a smuggler's route. With previously finding out the Churches are built West to East, they head East. We then find out about the Sun's effect on trees. Fewer leaves and more vertical growth on the North side. The South side has heavier growth heading towards the Sun, creating a 'tick' effect.

One trick the team seemed to miss was the biggest navigational aid they had - which was where the land meets the sea, otherwise known as the coast. They knew where abouts they were and should therefore have known which direction the sea would be. IMHO...!

Leg the Last, St. Just to Cape Cornwall. After some hestitation over direction, they use a building to find the direction they need to be headed. Sun dials can be found on the sun facing side of the building - as can solar panels! Find West? Done! And they're off...or are they? Yep...they are.

Lichens (Fungi + Algea) are very sensitive to light and water. Northern side greys and green. Southern side orangy - 'most' of the time orange lichens = South. With 15000 lichens, we find that we need to learn local variations to this rule. In Cornwall they found that green and hairy = Northerly! The destination was quickly found after that. Success.

The quote of the episode for me was 'to be quiet with nature' and that's the frame of mind I think we all need to take notice of the amazing world around us. Thanks to Alison for that one.