The Combe was ever dark, ancient and dark.
Its mouth is stopped with bramble, thorn, and briar;
And no one scrambles over the sliding chalk
By beech and yew and perishing juniper
The opening sentence is spare and atmospheric. The repetition of “dark”, together with “ancient”, creates a sinister mood. There is a sense of timelessness. 
 Note that the pace is slow with elongated vowels in “Combe” and “dark”. 

The Combe