An ode to walking among trees – and the best forest adventures in Britain
I first fell in love when I was eight years old. It wasn’t really what the grown-ups called love. More like the secret joy of being with a friend who had touched my heart. And I only first recognised it for what it was the moment it was gone.
I woke one morning to hear the high-pitched whine of a chainsaw outside my bedroom window and looked out to see my favourite tree lying in a pile of sawdust in our garden. “I loved that tree so much,” I wailed, as my mother gave me a consoling hug.
But I was inconsolable. I had climbed that tree a hundred times to gaze out over the remote Cornish river valley where we lived. I had a favourite branch near the top, where I would sit and listen to the birds and the sounds of the summer breeze rustling through the leaves. And now it was gone. Forever. “To let in more light,” as my father explained sternly.
It’s easy to forget sometimes how important trees are to our well-being, both physical and mental. Trees are among the oldest, tallest, largest and most complex living organisms in the world.
They are also among the most diverse and the most spectacular. Throughout human history they have provided fuel to keep us warm, materials to build shelters, food to eat, shade from the sun, protection from the elements and a home for countless species of birds, animals and insects. They regulate rainfall and without their ability to trap carbon dioxide, our planet would be uninhabitable.
But on a more touchable, day-to-day level, they are an antidote to our stressed modern lifestyles and can have a profound effect on our mood. The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) was introduced in the Eighties as a health therapy. The idea was to persuade people to spend more time in nature, walking and meditating in woods and forests. And now it is catching on here.
The health claims of forest bathing are supported by an impressive body of scientific studies. Walking among trees reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, while improving mood, lowering anxiety and delivering a boost to the immune system from breathing in phytoncides, which trees emit to protect themselves from germs and insects.
Blood pressure is also reduced, while woodland activities can protect against heart attacks and even diabetes. One study suggests that creative problem-solving is improved by 50 per cent after three days immersed in nature with all access to modern technology removed.
But is all this science a little unnecessary? Whatever happened to common sense? Any keen walker will tell you that forests and woods have a special magic. The intoxicating sight of a sea of bluebells in a woodland setting in early spring; the yellows and oranges of autumn leaves against the deep blue sky of an autumn afternoon; the sounds of birds in the trees and animals scurrying through the undergrowth; the play of light through the forest canopy in the early morning and the late evening. Just thinking about it instantly calms the mind.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Forestry Commission (forestry.gov.uk), and as good a reason as any to celebrate the vital recreational role that woods and forests play in our lives. The Forestry Act 1919, which brought the Forestry Commission into existence, was designed to create state-owned woods and forests after the end of the First World War, when demand for wood had reduced forest cover in Britain to an all-time low of 5 per cent. It has now more than doubled to about 13 per cent.
The first trees planted were in Eggesford Forest in Devon and today the commission is England’s largest landowner, managing more than 1,500 forests and woods. These include Westonbirt, the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire, which has more than 2,500 tree species from around the world and is justifiably famous for its fiery autumn displays as well as its magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, whose blossoms explode into life in spring.
While walking will always be the most popular way of enjoying our forests, it is by no means the only way. These days our woodlands are home to everything from glamping sites to sculpture parks, live music and theatre. The Forestry Commission is also our largest provider of woodland recreation, with more than 1,800 miles of waymarked paths and mountain bike trails, while its partnership with Go Ape, the treetop and outdoor adventure company, has everything from zip wires and high-rope courses to trampoline nets and off-road Segways at its 33 multi-activity centres across the UK.
Whether visiting for a day, staying nearby or camping or glamping this summer, here are our suggestions for must-do woodland activities and events this summer.
Woodland adventures
From foraging for food to camping in the backwoods, here are some of the best ways to have fun in the British forest.
Arboretums
The large number of exotic tree species brought back to the UK by Victorian explorers have developed into some of the world’s finest arboretums. Many have trees that are more than 150 years old, including some that are extinct in their native land. Westonbirt, The National Arboretum in Gloucestershire has more than 18,000 trees; Batsford, also in Gloucestershire, has the National Collection of Japanese Flowering Cherries (roll on spring); while Winkworth in Surrey is famous for its rowan, whitebeam and service.
National Arboretum: forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-national-arboretum; Batsford: batsarb.co.uk; Winkworth: nationaltrust.org.uk/winkworth-arboretum
Forest Bathing
Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) has been popular in Japan since the Eighties, when it was introduced as a health therapy. The Forestry Commission and the National Trust both encourage forest bathing in the numerous woods and forests that they manage. These include Cardrona in the Tweed Valley Forest Park in the Scottish Borders, Coed Ganllwyd, in a magical corner of Snowdonia, and St Catherine’s Woods near Windermere in the Lake District.
scotland.forestry.gov.uk; nationaltrust.org.uk
Forest Artworks & Music
Our forests play host to art, music and theatre created and performed by leading international artists. Among the artworks are the famous sculptures of Grizedale Forest (below) near Coniston Water in the Lake District, while Nissen Hut in Yorkshire’s Dalby Forest, by the Turner Prize-winning artist Rachel Whiteread, was recently unveiled to celebrate the Forestry’s Commission’s centenary. Forest Live is a major live music series held every year in seven forest locations across the country. Artists playing this summer include Paul Weller, Stereophonics and Jess Glynne.
Grizedale Forest: forestryengland.uk/grizedale; Forest Live: boxoffice.forestry.gov.uk
Glamping, Blackberry Wood
Blackberry Wood (above), near Ditchling in East Sussex, is a magical woodland setting whose old-style pitches for old-style canvas has developed into an increasingly imaginative site that covers the spectrum between traditional camping and glamping. Options include a 1964 Routemaster London double-decker bus, an original Thirties gipsy caravan, a converted 1965 Wessex Search and Rescue helicopter, a curvy eco-cabin and a choice of two fairy-tale treehouses, called Higgledy and Piggledy.
Multi-Activities, Wye Valley
Surrounded by lush, native woodland, the steep-sided limestone gorge of the Wye river on the England/Wales border is one of the best woodland locations for a range of activities from walking and cycling to horse riding, rock climbing, caving, canoeing and kayaking. There are several safe launch points for canoes and kayaks, signposted circular walking routes and a wide collection of bridleways and stables for horse riders to choose from.
Pooh Walking, Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest in East Sussex recently caught the public’s imagination, after the release of the film Goodbye Christopher Robin, about A A Milne’s relationship with his son, and was the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood. There are now two “Pooh walks” taking in the sites of some of Pooh’s adventures, including the Sandy Pit, the Enchanted Place, the North Pole and Eeyore’s Sad and Gloomy Place.
Camping, New Forest
Hampshire’s New Forest is a combination of ancient woodland and heathland with more than 140 miles of paths and 100 miles of woodland cycle trails. Given National Park status in 2005, its many campsites vary from secluded woodland settings to family-friendly sites with all mod cons. You will certainly see some of the forest’s wild ponies and hopefully some of its five species of deer.
Bushcraft Skills Course, Lake District
Immersion in the natural world and learning the basics of wilderness survival are the focus on the many bushcraft courses that are based in forests up and down the country. Courses vary from half-day tasters to week-long adventures. Skills taught include fire-starting, building shelters, foraging for food, water capture and toolmaking. Wild Human runs a range of bushcraft courses in Lake District woodland, including a five-night Woodlander course and the advanced Native course.
Foraging for food
Foraging for wild garlic and other foods has become increasingly popular. The National Trust runs several foraging walks and half-day courses on its land all over the UK in partnership with local experts. Foraging for the abundant wild garlic that grows from late winter until the end of spring is particularly appealing. The leaves can be eaten either raw or cooked, or made into a tasty soup or pesto.
nationaltrust.org.uk/features/places-where-wild-garlic-grows
Mountain Biking, Cornwall & North York Moors
Forest trails are very popular with mountain bikers. For good reason. After all, it’s not just the trees that are “gnarly” (MTB slang for challenging terrain). Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire has some world-class trails, from the four-mile, black-graded World Cup cycle trail to green trails (moderate) and blue (easy), while Cardinham Woods in Cornwall is renowned for the “Bodmin Beast”. Both woodlands are managed by the Forestry Commission and have adjacent family-friendly cycling and walking trails.
forestryengland.uk/cardinham-woods; forestryengland.uk/dalby-forest
Birdwatching, Cairngorms
Featured on the BBC’s Springwatch and described by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the glories of wild Scotland”, the lower slopes of the remote plateau of the Cairngorms are covered in the Caledonian pinewoods of the Rothiemurchus Forest. Crisscrossed by a 30-mile network of maintained paths surrounding lochs at the foot of the mountains, Rothiemurchus is superb for wildlife watching. Species include red squirrels, pine marten, red deer, badger, capercaillie, Scottish crossbill, crested tits and osprey.
