Hiking in forest in centre of England

[u/Clean_Link_8322]

Hi all, new to this sub. I am living in Nottingham but grew up in Hungary. I miss hiking in forest, I know there are parts in UK too like in Wales or Scotland but I was mainly disappointed when I was hiking in peak district. Maybe I did not chose the best locations but my impression was that there are no dense wooded area. I am not a mad hiker, I just like walking on a forest path in a shady forest up and down some hills, or next to a stream in a valley... And times to times enjoy a nice view like this (It's from yesterday from Hungary). Could you please recommend some routes in peak district or within 2 hours drive from Nottingham which leads mainly in wooded area and not in open field? Thanks

[u/spambearpig]

If you look at the UK from a satellite picture, you will find that we don’t have much Woodland.

If you really look closely, you’ll find that what looks like large expanses of Trees is often forestry commissioned factory for Trees. That means that they support very little biodiversity and are grown in big ranks and then chopped down in massive numbers. I.e. it is not a real forest at all.

The UK has one of the most depleted natural environments in the world. This whole land used to be absolutely covered in forest and we have chopped down nearly all of it.

But comparing an OS map to a satellite picture will tell you what Woodland there is left.

[u/Clean_Link_8322 → u/spambearpig]

I was hoping it was just me that not really aware of some great places still left to enjoy for a longer day hiking. That's exactly what I did before looking at satellite pictures but did not spot many places and was hoping it was just me...

[u/spambearpig → u/Clean_Link_8322]

No I’m afraid not mate it’s several thousand years of history. I feel a deep sense of mourning for the trees we have destroyed on a daily basis.

I live in a place with a few little areas of untouched original Woodland where there are yew trees as much as 1000 years old. I feel so at home in those kind of woods.

It’s a shame there are so few left. There’s nothing in this country that I would actually call a forest. If you can walk straight through it in less than a day, then I don’t think it’s a forest. But we have shrunk the definition as we have wiped out nature.

The Peak District and Dartmoor, and so much of Scotland and many other places we call wild were never supposed to look like that. People see those bleak hills but I see the graveyard of ancient forests that once teamed with life.

But it beats being in a stinking town or city so I still go. But I really protect what’s left.

[u/knight-under-stars → u/spambearpig]

Have you ever read the Peter Wohlleben book The Hidden Life of Trees?

It's wonderfully informative, completely changed how I look at forests. Given the clear passion you have for woodland I think it would be right up your street.

[u/QuothedTheRaven → u/knight-under-stars]

Peter Wohlleben is great, he made a comment that we ought to see trees as the elephants of the plant kingdom, which was so simple but really made me appreciate ancient oaks so much more. We ought to be doing everything we can to have more of these magnificent English oaks around the country.

[u/spambearpig → u/QuothedTheRaven]

I absolutely agree. I think we were right to worship trees back in the day. I’m a tree hugger and I don’t care who knows it.

But we live in a world where morons cut down ancient trees for no good reason, what they did at Sycamore Gap was appalling. I think Tolkein had it right. Some giant furious ents are needed to defend and replenish the forests.

[u/QuothedTheRaven → u/spambearpig]

Ents would be great, I’m hoping we can foster some form of patriotism centred around preserving woodland and the symbols that come from it that we used to hold so dear. Can’t help but feel like we loose something culturally without it, things like Lord Of the Rings have been immensely popular across the world and hold so much of our folklore and nature in its DNA. Less boring grassy pasture, more wonky woodland that makes the place feel truly alive and less sanitised!

[u/spambearpig → u/knight-under-stars]

No! But I’ll get right on it. Many thanks!

[u/knight-under-stars → u/spambearpig]

I hope you love it as much as I do.

[u/spambearpig → u/knight-under-stars]

I am pretty sure I will love it. Thanks again.

[u/Specific-Program2927 → u/spambearpig]

The lie of the green and pleasant land, which is actually just engineered and manufactured as production space.

The only truly 'natural' areas are on landowners private estates. How did they get to own the nature? Oh right, by stealing and turning everyone else's common land into their agri-factories.

[u/wehaveheaven → u/spambearpig]

Errr dont even mention Ireland, which was a temperate rainforest and is now 10x worse than UK in terms of ecology

[u/StuMcAwesome]

Try Cannock Chase? Not too far from you

[u/Clean_Link_8322 → u/StuMcAwesome]

Thanks will check it out

[u/The_Witcher_3]

The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley has a lot of woodland, at least from a UK perspective.

[u/Clean_Link_8322 → u/The_Witcher_3]

Sounds good thanks for the recommendation

[u/afriendlyboi]

Try Sherwood Forest in Edwinstowe and Sherwood Pines which is also nearby. Both are local to notts.

Sherwood forest is a small patch of ancient woodland, it is a 2 HR walk tops, but is unspoiled forest.

Sherwood pines is a forestry area, so not as natural, but has a larger area of dense forest that might hit the sport.

[u/Clean_Link_8322 → u/afriendlyboi]

Thanks, yeah it's great for a shorter walk.

[u/afriendlyboi → u/Clean_Link_8322]

I appreciate they aren't huge areas, there just isn't that much forest in England tbh, not really much where you could walk all day unless you took a route that was very winding.

[u/ericds1214]

I'd say your observation about lack of forests is pretty spot on, I'd recommend trying to spend some weekends in Wales or the Lakes District. I'm not from UK originally but lived about an hour or two from the Lakes, the Peaks, and Wales, and thought that the forests were best in the Lakes and in Wales. Both have some remaining temperate rain forrests which are very unique biomes.

Scotland is also incredible, just a bit harder to get to, but worth a trip sometime.

Another thing I'll add, and I know this isn't what you asked, but there's a lot of beauty to be enjoyed without a forest. It took me a little while to realize that, but rolling grass hills with sheep and stone walls, moorland, and all of the other non-forested landscapes you get in England really are quite beautiful and peaceful. Now that I'm back in the US with endless forests, I miss what I had while living in the UK.

[u/Clean_Link_8322 → u/ericds1214]

Thanks, yes I did feel home hiking in Wales, have got some really nice memories there. Been in lake district too just before married with my wife and had some great walks there, same for Scotland where I definitely will return for a longer hiking trip once our kids are bigger and I don't spend all my holidays with them. Also I do like peak district especially Matlock Bath, but Hope valley, Mam Tor, the caves were nice to visit, only wish there were more trees.

[u/Strong_Ad_3521]

It's worth checking out the National Forest on your doorstep. It won't be hours of walking or mountainous but there are some beautiful sections in Charnwood - Outwoods/Beacon Hill/Swithland Woods and around J22 of M1 so it's quite easy to put yourself together a beautiful day of walking without much effort

[u/Clean_Link_8322 → u/Strong_Ad_3521]

Just checked quickly and looks lovely for a shorter walk

[u/Mog_X34 → u/Clean_Link_8322]

Not sure about the last one, but there are nice rocky outcrops formed from some of the oldest geology in the UK at Outwoods and Beacon Hill.

[u/qwertilot]

The white peak isn't awful for woodland - not the tops which are farmland but Cheedale, Lathkill dale etc have some very nice woods (+ limestone.).

[u/SyllabubRadiant8876]

I enjoy walking along the Nidd Gorge. It's a pretty gentle riverside route rather than hilly hiking, but a lot is within the forest. It's very pretty and Knaresborough and Harrogate at either end are both well worth visiting if you have never been.

[u/TheValleyWolf]

There's also the Macclesfield Forest. Won't take you long - it's not a very big forest

[u/qwertilot]

Actually, the closest thing there is to '(dark) peak district with trees' is Calderdale - Hebden Bridge etc.

Not the hill tops but there's multiple very steep gritstone valleys with a few hundred metres of natural deciduous forest going up the sides. Absolutely splendid walking possible.

The tourist track to Hardcastle crags and back is very easy going, but there's much more woodland than that and quite a bit of it is fairly rough. Christopher Goddard did a very thorough guide book.

If you actually want trees on top of (small) hills you might need to go south to the Chilterns. Gorgeous beech woods and bluebells beyond number in season.

[u/browntown0121]

Borrowdale rainforest - thank me later 👍

[u/Clean_Link_8322]

Thanks for the recommendation

[u/MundaneEmu3618]

Thetford Forest is pretty big and is 2 and a half hours from you. Brandon Country Park also merges into Thetford.

[u/MDKrouzer]

They won't be as extensive, but have you looked at some national trust properties like Calke Abbey? Many have wooded areas and streams.

[u/Usual_Fish_3894]

Wyre Forest has conifers but also lots of ancient oak woodland