THERE really is a day for everything! Saturday was ‘International Day of Forests’ – a wee reminder that the North East isn’t just redeveloped industrial heartlands and stunning, award winning coastlines.
We’ve got fabulous forests and wonderful woods, too.
Chopwell Woods, Hamsterley Forest, Thrunton, Kielder…take your pick. Every single one a unique sanctuary where your phone signal fades as the birds chirp louder.
Today we remind ourselves of the brilliance of escaping into the woods and how lucky we are to live where we do.
The International Day of Forests was established by the UN General Assembly in 2012 and each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations…so I thought I would join in with a couple of top ‘tree-tastic’ tips!
We probably visit Beamish Woods and Hedley Hall Woods most of all (both great for deer spotting) but I thought I would point you to two lovely woods and woodland places I only recently visited for the first time. Feel free to let me know your recommendations at the email below!
Join me first, on a jaunt to Howick Hall. Peeping through the trees out at the Northumberland coast, Howick Hall is a cracking historic house, but it is the surroundings that drew us there.
Mrs Joey had a pang to see some snowdrops before the season ends (you might be lucky to catch some before the end of March) and we were more than lucky.
There were carpets of snowdrops everywhere we walked, through an extensive arboretum (I had to look that up) and woodland gardens, and either side of the path that winds all the way to the North Sea.
The hall itself was the ancestral home of the Grey family, as in Earl Grey, whose name lives on in the famous tea blend (and they do a nice brew in the café!)
There is also a lovely church and graveyard and we were lucky the day we went, it was as if it was sprinkled with snow! And I also recommend the sensory garden, carefully put together to respect neurodiversity.
Don’t take your hiking boots off just yet. We move on to Brinkburn Priory.
Hidden in a quiet bend of the River Coquet, Brinkburn Priory is one of Northumberland’s most atmospheric historic sites.
Founded in the 12th century as an Augustinian monastery, the priory church remains brilliantly intact and is now shepherded by English Heritage (you can visit on selected days so check first).
The woodland and riverside meadows, wrapped around the monastery feels almost unchanged from medieval times.
I was lucky as I had a woodland scout for the day- Mark Fenwick who has transformed Brinkburn into an idyllic venue for weddings, retreats and yoga sessions.
The function rooms and holiday B&Bs are top notch but believe me, Mark seemed much happier outdoors and was more than excited to take me on a muddy walk.
I don’t think I have heard anyone so enthusiastic to tell me about their favourite trees and where they came from.
Around the winding banks of the river Coquet he regaled me with tales of where he liked to play when he was a lad, after all, it is where he grew up! He said ‘Come back when the weather is nicer’. I will!
So those are my two top (new to me) tips, so have a leafy springtime walk on me. And by all means, please feel free to let me know your favourite, wonderful woodland trails!
Facts and Footnotes:
l Chopwell was once nicknamed “Little Moscow” , with strong socialist roots in the early 20th century, and the woodland around it became a place where miners escaped to walk, debate and breathe after long shifts underground.
l Hamsterley Forest was created mainly for timber production but is now just as famous for hikers, cyclists and wildlife.
l Snowdrop carpets sometimes reveal where old cottages, monasteries or burial grounds once stood, because the bulbs were planted near homes and churches.
You can email Alfie via www.AlfieJoey.com and subscribe to his free newsletter there.
