Some of our team dodged the notoriously present rain clouds and managed to get three days of glorious sunshine during a recent stay at the Lake District!
Top of the visit list was The Great Wood, which is only a five-minute drive from the center of Keswick. The Great Wood is a temperate rainforest, and it is also known as the Atlantic Oak Wood, with sessile oak mostly dominant within the woodland. Due to its humidity and rainforest temperatures, ferns grow on the trunks and branches of the trees, not just on the ground. This type of woodland is rich with lichens and mossy boulders, and the habitat within the woodland is quite rare, only existing in the wetter western parts and northern uplands of the UK.
The Atlantic Oak Woods, sadly previously suffered from coppicing due to high demands for timber to make charcoal for iron smelting, and the tannin-rich bark was also used for leather tanning. Thankfully, the woodlands have had increased protection over the years through natural regeneration and planting, which will undoubtedly help improve and restore the complex and diverse habitats.
The Great Wood is a walk suitable for most abilities, but if you are up for a challenge, the walk connects to the summit of Walla Crag. After ascending 379m to the summit of Walla Crag, you are greeted with the breathtaking views of Derwent Water and Keswick.
Earth Day (22nd April) aims to draw our attention to promoting conservation and sustainability. We all need to continually consider how we can affect and impact the habitats of flora and fauna, which will ultimately shape not only our own future, but that of generations to come too.
Find out more here: Atlantic oak woods and Derwentwater – Great Wood
