With the summer months coming to a close and Autumn looming, trees in The National Forest will soon be exploding into colour with a final dazzling display of vivid reds and golds.
Autumn is the best time to enjoy the many walks in The National Forest particularly around the ancient Forest of Charnwood. Charnwood boasts a diverse range of landscapes ranging from the ancient woodlands, meadows and heathland to babbling brooks and wide expanses of water. The Outwoods and Beacon Hill within Charnwood provide some of the best displays of Autumn colours and are criss-crossed with footpaths and cycleways to explore and enjoy a day in The National Forest.
Willesley Wood, near Ashby de la Zouch, is always rich in vibrantly coloured Field Maple and Rowan during Autumn. Willesley was the first woodland planted as part of The National Forest and is maturing to become a well-established haven for wildlife.
The rolling parkland landscape of Calke Abbey provides a perfect setting for an Autumn walk, which could be combined with a visit to the fascinating historic house or with a short stroll to Staunton Harold and the Ferrers Centre for Arts and Crafts.
The seasonal colours are twice as splendid when reflected in the water at either Thornton Reservoir or Foremark Reservoir. And, as we all know, all good walks end in a tea shop, public house or restaurant, which are sprinkled liberally throughout The National Forest.
And for a whole month from 23 September, there is even more reason to visit the Forest as it is ‘Seed Gathering Season’. The Tree Council has broadened its annual autumn festival from one day "Seed Gathering Sunday" to a whole month "Seed Gathering Season". Seed Gathering Season 2006 will start on 23 September (the autumn equinox, considered to be the first day of autumn) and continue until 23 October.
The National Forest runs a ‘Grow a Tree from Seed’ scheme that encourages local residents and visitors to collect acorns and other native tree seeds during Seed Gathering Season and grow them on as small seedlings to eventually be planted in the growing National Forest. For a Seed Gathering Pack contact The National Forest Company on (01283) 551211. After two years the seed-gatherers are invited to a community tree planting event to plant their little trees.
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