I had the pleasure of visiting the lovely Heartwood Forest in St Albans this past weekend.The name of the game is about conservationism and allowing a large expanse of beautiful trees in flourish when too many of them are continually being cut down and destroyed. I love the reasoning behind the existence of this gorgeous place which only adds to it's calming and natural beauty.
Heartwood Forest is the largest new woodland in England. It was acquired by the Woodland Trust in 2008 and has grown to now accommodate more than 500,000 freshly planted new trees. From it's gloriously shaded green thickets to the acres of sprawling wildflower and orchid meadows, Heartwood Forest is also home to a host of varied wildlife. Such a captivating and enchanting environment for a great day out as there is so much to discover everywhere.
Exploring the woods
We picked up a map of the vast area which was informative and highlighted points of interest, including where some older sections of the woodland were.
With a whopping 858 acres to cover, Heartwood Forest boosts branching networks of paths including a public footpath and two bridleways.
All at various stage of development and surrounded by open spaces of grass and wild flowers. Those all you need to do is stick to the trails and everything should be fine. You can get an idea of how in a few years from now, many sections of Heartwood will be transformed into incredible, large woods, containing many more of Mother Nature's furry and feathered creatures.
We came upon an subtle elavtion from ground level, giving a great view of the nearby Sandridge Village. Simply amazing! The air up here is so fresh and exhilarating.
I must say, we got really lucky as far as the weather was concerned. The sun was shining for all it was worth and provided for an exceptionally nice woodland walk.
Newly Planted & Ancient Forests
(These signposts are your salvation if you lose your way in the humoungous area.)
(The long, winding pathways seemed to stretch out forever.)
Because of the work of it's thousands of volunteer staff, Heartwood Forest is very much a work in progress, but it's staggering just how far they've come. This is a new forest being developed by the woodland trust which means there are more open space and young trees than you might first expect (though that just adds to the charm of the place).
(I doubt these are edible, lol)
(Love the style of these wooden benches. Perfect for a cosy picnic spot out in the sun.)
(A rather large dog jumped into this small pond to cool off but I missed the shot by seconds!)
(Doesn't this look like a rather wizened old face embedded in the trunk of this tree?)
Heartwood’s Wildlife
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(One of my favourite features here in Heartwood. The animal statuettes.)