Islands Thorns

We've spent our recent Sunday long walks amongst the glorious stands at the north of the forest, the extensive block of woodland created by Islands Thorns, Amberwood, Alderhill and Sloden enclosures and sprawling ancient woodland that surrounds them. What a wonderful tract of forest. It's one of those all too rare places where beyond the occasional aerial intrusion the sounds of modernity are absent, here you can really hear the woodland; quiet yourself and let your senses reach out, layer upon layer of sound will be revealed to you. I recommend the walking here, endless path permutations through splendid woodland with more sights and vistas than you could shake a stick at; what's not to like, so atmospheric here too.

Alderhill

 

Alderhill Enclosure

Latchmore Brook

Like the other forest streams Latchmore Brook is showing a lot more gravelly bottom than you'd expect for the time of year; it's not so much the exposed gravel itself, the flow of the forest's waterways fluctuate with the weather, it's rather the scale and duration of the exposures;  a reflection of the continuing dry weather.  That aside, the stands through which the brook travels are, in my opinion, some the best woodland walking of the forest; replete with dells and groves all connected by myriad winding paths, it's woodland to lose yourself in.  

Bone dry brook

Even Geoff with his magnificent water detecting skills was for the most part out of luck on this morning's walk. Both Dockens Water and Latchmoor Brook were bone dry, at least on the surface anyway. Shocking as it may appear, and not wishing to downplay climate change, on this occasion it's not uncommon for the forest's streams to show the naked bottoms; it's for how long that could be the sign of longer term environmental change. All that said, further up the brook shallow murky puddles could still occasionally be found enduring...much to Geoff's delight; luckily our route passed Eyeworth Pond we're he could ditch the murk.