A Woodland Walk on a Journey

We are on our way to stay in a cottage in Pembrokeshire for a week’s holiday. We always try to find an interesting place to stop off at on the journey and today we did just that, dropping in to Dinefwr a National Trust property. The building was both beautiful and unusual.

After a coffee and cake in the cafe we set off to enjoy a walk in woodland, after gong through this wide gateway. We donned waterproofs as drizzle had set in. After only a sloping hundred yards or so we entered woodland and followed the blue trail. There were very few posts to guide us on the way so there was a lot of chances to use our imagination.

What quickly became apparent was that the woodland has been managed with wildlife in mind, fallen trees were left where they fell and we soon discovered wood and brash piles created throughout.

There were signs of autumn even though the trees were mostly still dressed in shades of green. As the drizzle had stopped so the atmosphere amongst the trees and herb layer plants was deeply peaceful and satisfying.

As in many woodlands accessible to the public the trees and herbaceous layer plants were joined by sculptural pieces made from wood, some a little twee such as the first two photos but the Kite piece was beautiful and evocative.

Just along the track from the wooden kite we came across a lake whose surface was broken by concentric circles ripples created by fish. Reed mace grew thickly along one edge alongside the raised boardwalk.

We walked following the blue track which took us next through a completely different environment called ‘Bog Wood’. It was a habitat that we now recognise as our own ‘temperate rain forest’ with water in the form of clear shallow streams and pools. So many trees had fallen and those still upright were stunted and covered in carpets of mosses, lichen and ferns. It felt and looked so beautiful!

The final few hundred yards took us slowly uphill to the carpark. Slopes feel steeper than they actually are at the end of a walk. We arrived with quarter of an hour to spare before gates closed!