By Katie Isham.
There’s been so much tree exposure over the past few weeks. The shiny ones, the sparkly ones, the pink ones. But it’s all unearthed a deep-rooted need to commune with some more natural trees. Do you ever get the urge to walk among the trees? Drop in on some perennial favourites? The festive period always seems to be about visiting old friends, so why not visit some of the oldest?
One of the best places to meet a wide variety of trees (and in my opinion, some of the greatest specimens) in our local area, is Blackwater Arboretum and the adjoining Tall Trees Walk on Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.
A short drive west from Southampton leaves you in the New Forest, and past the metropolis of Lyndhurst, branching off the A35, lies Ornamental Drive. Start your adventure in the car park for Blackwater Arboretum (largely because of the toilet block: adventuring is never enjoyable with a bothersome bladder).
Head across the road and up the incline toward the arboretum. This gated enclosure inspires thoughts of wild animals enclosed. There’s hope that paths will be crossed by squirrels, robins or even a great tit, but it’s really the trees we’re there for.
The fence isn’t there to keep the trees in, it’s there to protect and harbour growth of an eclectic variety of the rooted beasts. The arboretum guards species from all over the world and many have signs up to help us navigate the knowledge of these wild giants.
Walk the perimeter or cut through the central line. Or both. Your feet map out the outline of a leaf: rather fitting, especially if diversions are made inside the main lines to read signs and take a closer look.
This is allowed, in fact encouraged, as a sensory trail is in place. Feel the bark, smell the needles, collect cones from the forest floor. There’s more than just walking here.
Once the arboretum has been circled, the adventure’s far from over. Back out of the enclosure and to the left is the start of the Tall Trees Trail.
This path carves a route through the forest alongside some of the most beautiful trees imaginable. Again, there are some more signs to help educate as you wander below the canopy. Which of course gets higher and higher (the clue’s in the name of the trail) until the giants greet us.
Sequoias really are something special. No matter how many times you get to visit them, it’s a humbling experience. Crane your neck and try to find the sky through the branches. Lean against the trunk, warm and soft: a hulking beast that almost breathes as you inspect the lines and cracks of its aged skin with a whole ecosystem of creatures and growing entities calling it home. It’s privilege to exist next to it.
But they’re not the only stars of the show. Look down. There are stars adorning the mulched floor. Some of the mosses are so vibrant that they look to be aliens crawling from the earth’s crust. In a magical, non-terrifying way.
Then there are the other trees. Fir trees, gnarled trees, hollowed out trees, fallen trees. So much life in this forest and so much to see. Wander the trail. It’s easy to follow the path up to Brock Hill car park then cross the road for the return leg through the forest. Here stands an army of Christmas trees, or maybe that’s a misnomer. They may look like the green garlands dressed for December festivities, but these are more than the sum of their jingling jangles.
December is but a shadow and this cold January stands stark ahead of us; the perfect time to go discover the trees that truly matter. These trees show us what real resolve is. They keep growing. They go through barren stretches. Some lose everything but then they recover. They bend in the harshest winds. They stand up to the coldest snaps and the hungriest deer. They stand in solidarity to protect each other. We can learn a lot from our arboreal friends.
Forget the resolutions to join the gym or to avoid chocolate. Take the leftover Quality Street and go visit the army of bark in the New Forest. A tree is for life, not just for Christmas.
Cost: Free to visit The New Forest and free parking. A cost incurred in travelling and if you want to purchase supplies from the café cabin or ice cream van often loitering in the car park.
Accessibility: Blackwater Arboretum and Rhinefield Ornamental Drive are most easily reached by car from Southampton. Take the A35 south west from Lyndhurst and follow the signs. Train travel is possible to Brockenhurst, especially if you bring your bike for the onward journey to Rhinefield. There are many trails to continue on with after. The trails around the arboretum and the Tall Trees Trails are compact forest floors, accessible to wheels of all types.
Facilities: Precious toilet block and often refreshments available in the form of the coffee or ice cream vans. Car parks with lots of room at this time of year, but often get full in the summer.
thenewforest.co.uk/trail/blackwater%3A-tall-trees-arboretum/64da11d812ec8e5c82fa5e10/
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