So here I am again, sat at the kitchen table. I have been inspired to write my ‘ramble from the bramble’ this time from a random Ted Talk that invoked some thought.

The Secret power of Awe? What on earth do I mean?

The very first time we saw Old Bidlake we were smitten with the place. When we came to view it in 2023 for the first time, we fell in love with everything about it, like a spell had been cast. The land, and a profound sense of belonging and calmness, were the ingredients of the spell. The steady flow of family and friends that came to visit after we moved in all commented on it and felt similar emotions.

In 2024 we welcomed the first campers here to our quiet campsite in West Dorset, and the same themes carried on in the conversations we had with them, or in Google reviews we received. Words like magical, safe, restful. Sometimes they just said, “There’s something about this place.”

I’ve been trying to understand why this is. Is it the big skies, the distant hills of the Marshwood Vale, or the numerous sentinel Oak trees in the landscape? One of the things people comment on is the feeling of space. Is it this?

We offer just 8 large campsite pitches, well-spaced across the Orchard and meadow, to give our campers the best experience we can. So that no one feels overlooked or hemmed in. In a world of queues and compression, an uncrowded campsite can feel like a small act of kindness for the soul. Is it this that creates the magic? The sense of physical space often becomes emotional space too. There is plenty of evidence that backs up the effects of being in nature, proof that it is good for our wellbeing, and I have written about this before in another blog. However, I still don’t think this is it. I think it runs deeper.

I had put it down to a rather unscientific reason, that we all have an innate ancestral memory of being in Nature, and when remembered, this gives us that sense of place, wonder and belonging.

However, last night we watched a Ted Talk by Jennifer Stellar, a positive psychology researcher. In short, she talked about the measurable benefits of 4 positive emotions: joy, pride, contentment, and awe, with awe being the emotion which gives the most benefit physically, mentally, and emotionally. She describes awe as being an experiential feeling of something vast and grand that challenges your world view. It makes us feel small in the presence of something bigger than ourselves, and it connects us with others around us. The talk is well worth a watch.

That was my eureka moment. The feeling experienced by people here is based in science. Beginning from a yearning for some time in nature that soon develops into a story and journey. You search on the internet for a quiet campsite in West Dorset, that maybe, is just a short drive from a vibrant town like Bridport and the Jurassic Coast, you then happen upon Old Bidlake, and you book your pitch. Then when the time comes you embark on your journey. The lanes from Bridport slow you down before you even arrive. Then the bumpy farm track slows you down further still. You arrive and walk through the orchard and then the meadow is unveiled to you, and you are met with the vastness of the landscape, something much bigger than yourself. The sense of self softens. Ego drops, you feel less hurried, less alone. This may be happening unconsciously, but you are unwinding into a state of rest.

Rest isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about regulation. It’s about being in an environment that allows your nervous system to relax.

In fact, as a campsite near the Jurassic Coast, you might spend your days walking the cliffs, swimming, or exploring nearby beaches, before returning to the meadow and orchard to ground yourself again. You may choose to have a massage or reiki session with Emily, or you may be here to attend one of our slow weekends.

However, you may start to notice how quiet the campsite is and how lacking in distractions. There is no pressure to optimise your stay. No ‘must do’ list. No noise after dark beyond owls and the occasional hedgehog.

Old Bidlake is a place to come back to yourself. To be held, briefly, by the land that has been doing this for us for millennia.

So there it is! That feeling of awe that campers get when visiting Old Bidlake and the reason folk keep returning, is all in the science. Or is it?

Can you keep a secret? between you and me I still think it’s magic! What do you think? Do let me know.

If you would like to find out more about our slow camping, or the stories behind this place, you can meander through other posts in rambles-from-the-brambles, or visit our web pages Old Bidlake Farm

Or you can just come a stay with us and experience a little bit of magic.

Thanks for reading.

Simon