Becca M
Active member
Feb 27, 2012: Gage Conservation Lands, Windham, NH.
I had been to the Gage Conservation Lands 15-20 years ago. But, since then the road has been re-routed and a new high school built. It wasn’t obvious how to get to the lands as listed in the booklet as all access had been changed and I couldn’t find any signs pointing the way. The old booklet was fairly obsolete in terms of access:
http://www.windhamnewhampshire.com/updated/pdfs/WalkingInWindhamCompressed.pdf
This was my second recent attempt to find access. I followed roads to the high school, cut into the woods, cut across the woods, and finally ran into the main woods road, originally accessing the area in the 1700’s. Following the blue blazes, there were plenty of surprises.
I found the main access behind second base of the high school baseball diamond. The route was obvious, eventually:
The conservation area includes an oak-treed hilltop surrounded by sheep-high stone walls. This one was waist-tall (for me, and I’m tall!!!):
The stonewalls are incredible –look at the interlocking stonework:
For some idea of scale, here I am. There are occasional HUGE stones worked into the stonewalls – so cool!
Near the edge of one of the stonewalls, there are 4-5 of these stone mounds (about 5’ across, and relatively flat). They are near the top of the hill. I am still fascinated by them. There are a couple more about 1/10 of a mile away. I believe they are stashes of spare stones, extras from the field, or, I think they could signify some kind of burial. Any ideas?
The woods are open and pretty:
Cool stump and growth:
Near the major woods road intersection this was on the ground. I couldn’t lift it. Any ideas what it is? I figured it was some kind of farming implement:
It was nice to have a powder room with a natural backdrop. A little too basic for me. How would you find a matching toilet-paper holder?
On my way out, a nice arc:
No visit would be complete without a visit to the “London Bridge” just past the high school sign. The town did a LOT of work to reroute the high school access road around this 1799 stone causeway. It’s pretty cool!!!
I never did find the cellar hole. I never saw anyone either… probably because it’s so complicated to even FIND access to the property. There was little evidence of ANYONE going there in recent times, but it has a very remote feeling… pretty amazing for something so close to the population hubs of southern NH’s route 93 corridor!!!!
I had been to the Gage Conservation Lands 15-20 years ago. But, since then the road has been re-routed and a new high school built. It wasn’t obvious how to get to the lands as listed in the booklet as all access had been changed and I couldn’t find any signs pointing the way. The old booklet was fairly obsolete in terms of access:
http://www.windhamnewhampshire.com/updated/pdfs/WalkingInWindhamCompressed.pdf
This was my second recent attempt to find access. I followed roads to the high school, cut into the woods, cut across the woods, and finally ran into the main woods road, originally accessing the area in the 1700’s. Following the blue blazes, there were plenty of surprises.
I found the main access behind second base of the high school baseball diamond. The route was obvious, eventually:
The conservation area includes an oak-treed hilltop surrounded by sheep-high stone walls. This one was waist-tall (for me, and I’m tall!!!):
The stonewalls are incredible –look at the interlocking stonework:
For some idea of scale, here I am. There are occasional HUGE stones worked into the stonewalls – so cool!
Near the edge of one of the stonewalls, there are 4-5 of these stone mounds (about 5’ across, and relatively flat). They are near the top of the hill. I am still fascinated by them. There are a couple more about 1/10 of a mile away. I believe they are stashes of spare stones, extras from the field, or, I think they could signify some kind of burial. Any ideas?
The woods are open and pretty:
Cool stump and growth:
Near the major woods road intersection this was on the ground. I couldn’t lift it. Any ideas what it is? I figured it was some kind of farming implement:
It was nice to have a powder room with a natural backdrop. A little too basic for me. How would you find a matching toilet-paper holder?
On my way out, a nice arc:
No visit would be complete without a visit to the “London Bridge” just past the high school sign. The town did a LOT of work to reroute the high school access road around this 1799 stone causeway. It’s pretty cool!!!
I never did find the cellar hole. I never saw anyone either… probably because it’s so complicated to even FIND access to the property. There was little evidence of ANYONE going there in recent times, but it has a very remote feeling… pretty amazing for something so close to the population hubs of southern NH’s route 93 corridor!!!!
