Walking through portals

Stepping stones to other dimensions

Could this stone circle at the Mallyan Spout be hiding a bit of Yorkshire magic?

Hello writers and walkers 👋🏻

In our last edition we wandered around our favourite libraries and found writing prompts hidden in the pages of books. Thanks to everyone who got in touch to tell me how much you enjoyed it and to share your own experiences of libraries and book-borrowing.

This time, we’re heading back outdoors. So grab your notebooks, pencils and boots – and keep your mind wide open as we get ready for our wildest adventure yet.

---

---

Walking

Did you know that all around the world there are portals to other dimensions? Often hidden in plain sight, they come in every shape and size you can imagine. And once you know how to spot them, you’ll notice them everywhere.

Sometimes they appear as literal doors…

Door to knowhere, Hadleigh, Essex

At other times they appear as littoral doors…

Tripitos Arch, Paxos, Greece

You can often see right through them, and might even be able to walk around them. But have you ever wondered what might happen if you… stepped through one…

Rope Circle by Wendy Taylor, Hermitage Basin, London

portal, n.

1. A door, gate, doorway, or gateway.

2. A lesser gate or entrance; a side entrance.

3. A natural entrance, as of a cave or mountain pass.

4. The entrance to a tunnel.

5. A feature consisting of upright stones in an arrangement resembling a doorway or entrance passage. (See: portal stone).

6. A means of entering another world or dimension, or of travelling instantaneously from one place or time to another, often imagined as a door or window.

Some are sought out by hikers who mistakenly believe they’re Ordnance Survey trig markers. But if you happen to be walking by one on the right day of the year, when there’s no one else around, and the light flows in from a particular angle, you might discover that it’s actually a portal…

Brown Willy’s secret, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

You’ll often find them in nature. Entering one of these is as easy as following a path…

Magic in the Malvern foothills

Or heading into a cave…

Passing through to the other side somewhere in Cornwall – or beyond

Some are so small that you can only pass through them using your imagination…

Hastings hagstone or pebble portal?

While others manifest as reflections of the sunset…

Doorway to another dimension, Maricel Museum, Sitges, Spain

Some take the form of ancient monuments that attract crowds of onlookers, eagerly waiting for the sun to activate them at just the right moment…

Doorway devotees gather at the Temple of Ares, Athens

And in busy places, like city train stations, they’ll only reveal themselves if you’re alone…

Foot tunnel or flight of fancy? (King’s Cross, London)

And some portals need no introduction at all…

The ancient portal of Stonehenge

So on your next walk, I invite you to keep an eye out for a portal. But when you find one, make sure you tell someone where you are before you disappear through it!

---

Writing

Your writing prompt this time is simple but has the potential to lead you in all manner of creative directions. Once you find your portal, answer this question:

• What’s on the other side?

Let me know if you find a portal, and what you discovered on the other side, by leaving a comment👇🏻

See you on the other side,

Sarah

---

More from The Writer’s Walk

Walk yourself happy with an imaginary stroll.

Walking with your imagination