Dodging the bomb...

[saxonaxe]

Hearing on the news about 'weather bombs' and tales of impending doom, I chickened out from a wander over my usual open Downland haunts and retreated to a nearby wood which is looked after by the Forestry Commisson.
There are a number of ways into the wood, one of my favourite routes is via the river valley.

http://i.imgur.com/GjgJ2Fol.jpg

Many tall elegant Beeches less than a 100 years old, compared with the ancient trees in my wood.

http://i.imgur.com/LiaCwynl.jpg..http://i.imgur.com/ZO5SYQWl.jpg

Flocks of Wood Pidgeons come into the wood to shelter and so there is a well fed population of Hawks to be seen in the wood..:D

http://i.imgur.com/95GcRlnl.jpg

This Heron gave me a dirty look and moved reluctantly off the track when I came along...

http://i.imgur.com/mZn53x4l.jpg

I hear news of waves battering Scottish Harbours, cancelled sea ferries and all sorts of dramas further North. Here the sun is warm almost hot and the wood is still and silent.

http://i.imgur.com/XYZsrqHl.jpg

Every time I come to this wood I think of walking sticks...;)

http://i.imgur.com/lTa54Tol.jpg

It's a wood which is run with a light touch, very very few signs 'prohibiting' anything, just signs encouraging folk to enjoy the wood. Off road bikers, Mountain bikers are well catered for, both families on the Commission laid tracks or the more adventurous off roaders.

http://i.imgur.com/uDR0Ydfl.jpg

Cycle track number 6 looked a bit interesting as it disappeared into the wood..

http://i.imgur.com/B8ozK2El.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/i5nIXxRl.jpg

I knew that Beech had been felled for a reason...seat+table..:D

http://i.imgur.com/IJNKq8ol.jpg

Kettle's boiling and it's almost 'T' shirt time sitting here in the sun...

http://i.imgur.com/W9la81sl.jpg

I keep referring to it as a wood, actually it's a 2000 acre forest with the largest area of Beech trees in England.

http://i.imgur.com/QDxH30Fl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/c5PPbOEl.jpg

The small ponds keep the local Herons happy.

http://i.imgur.com/nWYXwXPl.jpg

The exposed chalk on some tracks is absolutely deadly to walk on, with it's fine cover of moss it's worse than ice.

http://i.imgur.com/tuwJlO0l.jpg

This is more my terrain..nice soft leaves...:happy-clapping:

http://i.imgur.com/YRCoZ3ul.jpg

The Foresters keep battling the Ivy stranglers!!

http://i.imgur.com/xsE5iqdl.jpg

Signs of shelter building practice but almost certainly by organised groups, schools, Scouts etc: The absence of litter/rubbish in the forest is noticable..and there are no litter bins..:)

http://i.imgur.com/foExI2Cl.jpg

I saw only two people, walked just over 9 miles circular route and ended up back at my start point as the afternoon faded..

http://i.imgur.com/NFhUjMNl.jpg

:D

[ian c]

Thank you Saxonaxe for posting, it looks very nice and cant blame you for wanting to cut a walking stick when out and about I used to cut them till SWMBO said how many sticks do you need, now I only cut sticks tomake my pegs for snares and dry them in the garage.

[bopdude]

Looks like a nice days walk, nice forest and a brew, happy days.

[OakAshandThorn]

T^ Lovely forest, it's more than twice the size of my local woodland, and much better maintained :).
Those vines look wicked...here the main problem is Asiatic Bittersweet, which shoots-up and grows fast. It will not only strangle the trees, but oftentimes it will weigh down one side of the tree and cause it to break. It is very hard to eradicate unless you pull up the roots, which seem to travel for miles and miles...
A pocket saw is always with me so I can remove the tangles and the thicker vines.

[Valantine]

Excellent pic's of a wonderful looking forest T^