Chapel Lane, Crockleford Heath, 2018

Some of the new recordings we have made are as a comparison to archive recordings from the past. But we have also been thinking about sound ecology in regards to the future, and have decided to record in locations that are going to potentially change vastly in the (near) future. One of the reasons for this change could be the proposed garden village initiative led by the government to fulfil a quota of new houses in the county. So, I will be visiting potential sites for these to document them before any potential change.

The second identified area was east of Colchester and north of the Knowledge Gateway, in a place called Crockleford Heath, which is essentially a farming green field area between the old and new Clacton Roads of A133 and A120. After driving around the area for a while I found a cluster of houses and smallholdings on Chapel Lane, so parked up in a passing bay, being mindful to leave enough room for any passing traffic that may need to use it. There wasn’t much activity here except a a distant trial bike being put through its paces, a passing car and bicycle.