Recently we visited our grandson who lives in the Chilterns, after lunch we crossed the lane he lives in, and entered the woodlands opposite. Following a narrow path through the perimeter bushes we found the dense undergrowth gave way to the typical spaces of an ancient beechwood. The floor was thickly carpeted with a top layer of freshly fallen orangey brown autumn leaves, joyfully crisp to walk on. Smooth grey green beech trunks stretched far above us, holding lightly leaved branches aloft and outward, extending themselves into a fine tracery of twigs, silhouetted against the blue sky. Here and there sunlight filtered prettily down through the branches and where it lit and warmed the woodland floor would be a patch of nettles, freshly green and tall, leaning and reaching toward the sunlight. Toadstools often nibbled at the edges were many and varied, as was lichen. Branches and even trees lay where they had fallen; sprouting both funghi and lichen, in other places dead trees remained standing, with bracket funghi growing up the entire length of the trunk. I was entranced by both the colours and patterns of the funghi and lichen. Traditionally ancient beech woodlands are often home to truffles and I wondered if any were growing there.
Under the crisp topping of leaves was a thick humous rich layer inhabited by many different insects, I would like to have gone beetle hunting but time didn't allow. This wood must be home to so many small mammals as well as larger ones we were shown the biggest badger sett I have ever seen and my grandson and his fiancee feel priviledged to have watched badgers, who just seem oblivious to their presence. These woodlands are also home to a large herd of Muntjac deer, which also wander through my grandson's garden.
Beech mast littered the floor, and occasionally we came across hazel trees, with a scattering of nuts and empty shells underneath. Here we saw evidence of the resident rodent population --- it was interesting to see the different ways the shells had been opened, some split in half, perhaps by squirrels, others with large holes in the bottom half of one side and yet more with tiny round neat holes --- mice and voles maybe.
Our woodland wander was wonderful and enhanced by the accompaniment of my grandson’s four cats, who daily go for a walk with him. They were delightful never venturing far from us, either walking in single file behind or three of them chasing each other round and about, back and forth or up and down trees. The fourth cat is an old gentleman of 15 years, pure white and still quite spritely, although he no longer rough and tumbles or climbs trees.
Old woodlands such as these are magical places and we are so fortunate to be able to enjoy them. The woodland I described here reminded me of High Beech woodlands, not too far from where we all live.
