Sundown over the wood

Wide Wednesday: Natural World

I can remember when it was all fields around here.  

That is to say, when I roamed this area as an 8 year old in the late 1960s, the area was actively farmed.  It no longer is and has been slowly reverting back to nature for 27 years.

In 1993 about 21 hectares  was set aside for tree planting with the assistance of a Foresty Commission grant, and the local community woodland was born.  Overy the years the area has gradually grown in size and is now more than twice its original area.  Some of the early planting is now nearly 30 years old and maturing nicely.

The woodland lies within something ambitiously known as the Forest of Avon.  Truth be told, we really need to set aside a lot more land and plant a lot more trees for there to be a credible Forest of Avon, but I like the concept and the ambition.  

Not all the area is planted with trees.  Some of the original fields have been retained but allowed to go fallow, as you can probably just about make out here.  Features like old dry stone walls and the original hedges and ditches can still be seen, although nature is gradually taking over.  Inevitably it is not a perfect habitat for wild things.  The local community delight in being to walk in it, with and without dogs, but it is pretty good for green space on the edge of urban communities.

Its not often that I blip a sunrise or a sunset, so its nice to have managed to get a good one.  Cathy and popped out for a stroll after dinner this evening both to get some exercise and to enable me to get this shot.  She was suitably patient with me as we waited for the sky to colour up as much as it was going to.  I did actually give in and start to walk back at one point only to realise within a couple of minutes that the cloud colours were improving and that we needed to get back to my spot to retake the shot!  She didn't moan or complain at all :-)))