With summer fast approaching, the opportunity to spend more time outside grows by the day. And with the good weather comes the opportunity to scout out new kinds of trees and plants for your own gardens. To help inspire you, we thought we’d come up with some of the best woodland walks to go on this year that could give you a few ideas when it comes to planting at home.
Dutton Estate at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire
This estate is home to some wonderful ancient woodland just ripe for exploration. You’ll find native broad leaf trees here, as well as conifers, beech trees and lots more. And that’s not all – it’s also a brilliant place to spot the likes of roe deer, foxes, badgers and rare barbastelle bats so you’ll have a wonderful time if you do go.
OK, so it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll have the space for a redwood tree in your garden at home but regardless, you should still make your way to Nymans in West Sussex, where you’ll find a giant redwood tree standing over 50m tall. What a sight to behold!
Roseberry Topping, North Yorkshire
If you want to get up close and personal with some seriously old ash and oak trees, Roseberry Topping’s woodland wildlife walk in North Yorkshire is the place for you. The tracks and paths can be a bit muddy during the winter so now’s the perfect time to make your way to this part of the UK countryside.
Sugarloaf Circuit, Monmouthshire
Sugarloaf is the southernmost peak in the Black Mountains in Monmouthshire and it’s here that you’ll come across St Mary’s Vale, an ancient oak woodland that’s also home to some stunning beech trees. If you’re feeling energetic, this would be a good walk for you since the circular path includes a climb to the top of the mountain – where you’ll get some amazing views of the woodland.
If you’re looking for a place that’s been relatively unchanged by contemporary society, then the New Forest is the very best option there is. It really hasn’t changed that much in 1,000 years and the heath and woodlands are absolutely magical – and even a little bit mysterious!
All sorts of different tree species can be found here, including oaks, redwoods, beech, holly, yew and lots more… but you absolutely have to go on a hunt for the Knightwood Oak, also known as the Queen of the Forest, which is more than 500 years old. Head down the Bolderwood Ornamental Drive (also home to some stunning trees) near Lyndhurst and you should be able to find the Knightwood with ease.
If you’d like any further advice or help relating to tree maintenance and so on, get in touch with us at Arbormedics today. We’re experienced London tree surgeons and are perfectly placed to lend a helping hand.