Wednesday 2 November 2011

If You Go Down To The Woods Today ...


On Wednesday of last week the weather was once again very warm for the time of year.
We decided to head out for Haldon Forest Park on the outskirts of Exeter.
We had never been before and so were a bit apprehensive about what we might find.
It was free apart from the car park fee of £3 for over two hours.


The car park was heaving and we soon understood why - this place is a magnet for children of all ages.
You can follow a number of trails, hire a bike or be more adventurous and opt for the zip wire - high above the trees!
We found a ranger who advised us that the Discovery Trail was very busy as it was half term and that as we had the dogs with us the Tree Trail would be quieter and if we were very lucky we might spot rutting deer. I wish that we could report that we had but we were unlucky and didn't even see any signs of deer! That did not deter us all from proclaiming that this was a great day out.


We followed the path through the trees. There are markers so that you don't get lost!
The trees are fantastically tall and it makes you realize how small we humans really are - we felt like little ants roaming through the forest!
In a clearing four chairs had been placed specifically designed so that when you sit back you have to look up at the trees and it's then that you truly appreciate how very tall they are.


Believe me - these trees were giants! We wondered how many years it had taken for them to grow!


The Tree Trail is two and a half miles long. We didn't spot any other walkers but a couple on  bicycles did at one point whizz past! Carved benches are dotted here and there on the walk where you can stop to relax and take it easy.


We admired the leaves!


Autumnal yellows and browns.


We spotted some feet!


We carried on walking along the path and venturing further into the forest from time to time to see if we could spot anything out of the ordinary or of interest. We did see some strangely coloured mushrooms but no nice red toadstools!


We saw this interesting lichen.


And some beautiful red berries.


All too soon it seemed that we were heading back to where we had started our journey into the forest.


A very peaceful, tranquil place. All you could hear was the birds in the trees and the panting of the dogs!


Our Daughter and George on one of the benches en route!
There is a cafe on site which serves wonderful snacks.
As we ate our light lunch outside on one of the tables it began to drizzle but this did not dampen our spirits!
After lunch we made our way back home to await the arrival of family and in the evening we donned our best clothes and headed off to our favourite restaurant for a Chinese meal!


Everyone had a good time and ate too much!

Until next time,

June.



1 comment:

  1. The trees are so incredibly tall - great photos!
    Looked a very peaceful walk - just as well the ranger advised you to try this one, or it could have been a walk spent dodging mountain bikes!

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