There is a lot to be said for contemplative silence, says Britain's most prestigious newspaper, The Guardian.

In an editorial, it endorsed English Heritage's experiment of declaring an "hour of contemplation” at 16 historic monastic sites in England, including Lindisfarne and the site of the Battle of Hastings.

"If the project is a success, it will perhaps become a permanent feature at some of the country's most beautiful and evocative religious sites," the editorial said.

At the time when digital noise is hard to turn off, creating a switch-off-your-devices hour signals a need that goes beyond "wellness" and underscores the spiritual principle that was recognized by ancient sources and modern journalists: "stepping out of the quotidian flow allows a different, deeper attention to be paid to the experience of life itself."

While ancient castles and abbeys are in short supply in California, I have my own list of places that invite contemplation and silence. They abound along the Big Sur Coast. Walk the river trail at Andrew Molera State Park to where it empties into the sea. Traipse up Pfeiffer Beach to where the sand turns pink. Near King City, take the cutoff from the 101 to Mission San Antonio de Padua. Or just stand in the redwoods.

I'm sure you have a list, too.

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Stephen Fry of English Heritage invites you to contemplate surrounded by history.

Thanks to Dick Johnson for steering me toward the Guardian editorial.

Photo: Lindisfarne by Louis Watson via Unsplash