Great Huntley Bank

It never ceases to amaze me how an area walked regularly over years can still reveal new vistas with such frequency. Great Huntley Bank runs along the eastern bank of Highland Water below Roman Bridge, a mix of mature Oaks and Beech with an emerging under story of Holly and other small trees. We don't come this side of the stream very often and although walked frequently over the years, the woodland remains fresh. The sounds of human activity disappeared, to be replaced by beautiful bird song, unlike the frantic sounding calls of recent, this song sounded relaxed, as if the birds were kicking back with some Barry White. We walked with wonder through this wonderland of the new, broad green paths transect the woodland, then thin single track until we arrive at Highland Water.  

Highland Water, like other forest streams, is flowing at a greatly reduced rate, its nature being between deep dark pools, some over 1m deep, where the water passes slow and silently and fast and shallow, no more than a few centimeters noisily babbling and bubbling over the gravel bed; a gravel bed exposed in some quantity along this

section of stream.  In places the newly leaf burdened stream side trees cast dappled shadows on the dark waters in the low soft light of early evening. 

Beyond the stream was Brinken Wood; this part of the wood is loosely clustered Silver Birch, the floor covered in a green carpet.  The colours are striking.  After a period taking in the soft Birch wood we became aware of a new sound, the combined humming of thousands of Mosquitoes; soon to begin feasting on us, they hovered surveying any exposed flesh.  Time to move on.  Close Birch woodland gives way to open mature deciduous woodland, grass floored, with beautiful views in all directions.  Nice.