A wander in the woods becomes undoubtedly more fascinating when you know a bit about those giant plants towering over your head. See how many of these species you can experience in this year’s remaining miles..
FORESTS JUST FEEL special. Often, you can’t put your finger on why it is, as it might be as subtle as a scent, or the effect a slight gap in the trees has on the light. Or, it might be the trees themselves. You may not avidly identify each species of tree you pass on your walks, though you’ll be at least subconsciously aware of how they change the atmosphere of the forest. Douglas firs and oaks, for instance, provide totally different walking experiences, but both can be equally memorable and extraordinary. Forestry England has a great variety of species growing in its 1500 forests. Here are just a few to seek out as you continue on your 1000-mile journey..
English oak (Quercus robur) Like a fine view or a blackbird in full song, the sight of a veteran oak can often be the highlight of a walk. Over many hundreds of years their strong branches can grow as far outwards as they do upwards to create a magnificent bulky beast whose trunk is severely gnarled and twisted. What’s more, the oak supports more life than any other native tree. Key features: Leaves have deep lobes, and acorns start growing when the tree is around 40. Where to see it: Birklands in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, has on site one of the highest concentrations of ancient oaks in Europe. Visitors to the New Forest should look out for the Knightwood Oak – a splendid ancient tree with a girth of 7.4m.
Common beech
(Fagus sylvatica)
You don’t normally need to stick to the path when walking through a beech forest. This elegant species, known as the Queen of British trees, has few plants growing beneath it due to the thick mush of leaf litter beneath your feet. The canopy is verdant in spring and summer, and golden in autumn, and looks especially spectacular when the sun is shining through it.
Key features: Triangular nuts are held in a spiky case, leaves are pointed ovals, bark is smooth and grey.
Where to see it: Friston Forest in South Downs National Park has extensive beech woodland.
Norway spruce
(Picea abies)
As we approach winter, there’s something rather magical about walking through a forest of Christmas trees on a snowy day. And luckily, Norway spruce are plentiful, particularly in the north, so you shouldn’t have to travel far to find such a place. Its ability to tolerate drought and to grow in acid soils means it’s now being trialled in a Forestry England project to determine which species are most resilient to climate change.
Key features: Triangular-shaped trees with long cones and needle-like leaves.
Where to see it: Widespread throughout the UK. At Delamere Forest in Cheshire, more than 2000 have been planted as part of Forestry England’s resilience to climate change trial.
Giant redwood
(Sequoiadendron giganteum)
It might surprise many to learn that you can actually see giant redwood (also known as giant sequoia) in this country. They can grow to be the tallest living thing on Earth yet, as majestic as they are, they’re also under threat and 10 percent are thought to have been wiped out in the Californian fires last year. As with the Douglas fir, a wander through these trees is like walking among giants.
Key features: The bark is red and spongy while cones are small and hang downwards.
Where to see it: Blackwater arboretum in Hampshire has the biggest trees in the New Forest.
Sitka spruce
(Picea sitchensis)
If you’ve ever brushed the needles of an evergreen with your arm, you thought, ‘blimey, that was sharper than I was expecting!’, then it was probably a Sitka spruce. And these forests change quickly. The species can grow up to 1.5m per year, meaning a plantation of saplings could resemble a thick mature forest in just a few years. Key features: Sharp and short needles with dome-shaped cones that hang downwards.
Where to see it: Widespread throughout the UK, but there’s no better place to see it then Kielder Forest in Northumberland, where different stages of growth as visible in different sections of the forest.
Douglas fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii)
You feel very small wandering through a forest of mature Douglas firs – their straight trunks leading to a distant canopy where birds of prey feel safe enough to nest. One specimen near Inverness is thought to be the tallest tree in Britain at more than 66m. Brought to the UK from North America in 1827, the wood is used to make furniture, flooring, decking and beams.
Key features: Cones have bracts that look like mouse legs and tail, while bark has deep cracks running up the tree.
Where to see it: England’s tallest tree (more than 60m) can be found at Nutcombe Bottom in west Somerset.
