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| The Cathedral Oak |
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| King Alfred's Cakes |
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October and November have been great months for walking in the woods. We've managed to get to Savernake Forest and have a chance to view the Cathedral Oak, reputedly the second oldest oak tree in the United Kingdom. With a circumference of over 10 metres and aged over 1100 years, the tree still looks magnificent. The biggest and oldest is also in the Savernake Forest and is known as the Big Bellied Oak, but that one is showing its age now.
There are plenty of interesting fungi around in the Savernake at the moment. The one in the picture is known as 'King Alfred's Cakes'. If you're ever out in the woods and need to keep your camp fire going, these little fungi burn slowly with intense heat, like charcoal.
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| Tree Tag, Selworthy Woods |
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| Sweet Chestnut, Selworthy Woods |
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| Selworthy and Cockerhills wall restoration |
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We took the opportunity to measure, survey and map a number of veteran and notable trees in Selworthy woods on Exmoor's Holnicote Estate (National Trust). We came across this beautifully reconstructed wall which is a part of the recently completed Selworthy and Cockerhills wall project. The task was undertaken by volunteers under the supervision of the Honicote Ranger Team. What a fantastic job they've done.
It's easy to believe, as you walk through the superb ancient woodlands in Britain, that they look after themselves but the opposite is true - they are maintained by small dedicated teams of professionals supported by an army of unpaid volunteers. We're certainly grateful and very much enjoyed making our own very small contribution the other week.
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| Maple Ridge |
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| Looking For Indicator Species, Holnicote |
Another opportunity to go back to Holnicote, this time to help daughter, Heather, with her grassland management project but more of that when we have all the data!
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