Sitting within one-eighth of a Full region (which utilises the Full Private region land capacity bonus) is Gothbrooke Forest, a public setting designed by Myka Winchester (Dremonawolfe) as, to quote the setting’s About Land description:
A gorgeous rustic themed forest complete with a serene pond and plenty of places to cuddle with your partner or simply take photos.
– Gothbrooke Forest
This is a gently relaxing setting, comprising a house – Cory Edo’s excellent Noa Ranch Cottage, which I’ve had my eyes on as a possible purchase for personal use (so get ready for a blog post on modding and using it that might be forthcoming) -, woodlands in autumnal colours, and a large body of water around which the trees have gathered.
The landing point sits close to the house at the eastern extreme of the parcel, alongside sign board offering group membership and / or a teleport up to the Mysteria store. At the time of my visit, I was not sure if the house was open to the public or not – while there were no signs to indicate it was not, I erred a little on the side of caution. However, Myka has since contacted me to let me know that it is indeed open for people to explore.
Running parallel to the front of the house is a gravel path leading to the first of the setting’s cuddle-spots: a small pergola among the trees. Here blessing can be had from the small figure of Buddha and which, under the shroud of Midnight, can be romantically lit by a parade of candles.
Before reaching it, a junction in the path leads west to the parcel’s waters (or back to the house if you prefer!). The waters are fed by tall waterfalls to the north, and as the path leaves the shade of the trees a wooden boardwalk stretches over them to what at first appears to be an island, but which is in fact a small headland jutting from the western extreme of the parcel. Steps can be found along the boardwalk allowing a descent into the waters, and rubber rings are available for floating around for those who wish to take a dip.
On the far side of the water, a mix of decks, gravel and log-supported paths climb up to a ring of trees and and an outdoor seating area beyond which sits a small café.
Prior to reaching the clearing, stone steps climb over the rocky headland and descend into a gravel-floored depression and another secluded spot for couples, this one furnished with a pallet table on which wine, cheese and crackers has been provided. It’s a cosy spot, but slightly spoiled by the fact that while the shrubs and logs ranged around the outer side of the depression give it a greater sense of privacy, they also block the view out over the water.
The latter extends two wet fingers into the land either side of the headland, both of them reach almost as far as where the café sits above them. Each is home to a water floater complete with its own sun shade. The café is a cosy place, two floors within a wood-framed building, and carrying with it hints of both Halloween and Christmas. As well as the outdoor seating, it offers comfortable armchairs downstairs and more traditional table-and-chairs seating upstairs.
The ribbons of land running along the north and south of the parcel to connect the eastern end with the house and the western end and the café offer no footpaths – which is not any loss to the setting. Instead they are rich in trees and rough ground, giving the entire setting a sense of being deep within a forest, as the parcel’s name suggests.
Small, rich in places to sit and pass the time, Gothbrooke Forest offers itself for a range of EEP settings (as well as its own – I actually used one of my custom settings in the images here), and multiple places to sit and relax. All of which makes for a pleasant and engaging visit for Second Life explorers.
SLurl Details
- Gothbrooke Forest (Cyldane Vampires, rated Adult)
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