The Natural Splendour of Heartwood Forest / 心木森林

I had the pleasure of visiting the lovely Heartwood Forest in St Albans this past weekend.The name of the game is about conservationism and allowing a large expanse of beautiful trees in flourish when too many of them are continually being cut down and destroyed. I love the reasoning behind the existence of this gorgeous place which only adds to it's calming and natural beauty.

Heartwood Forest is the largest new woodland in England. It was acquired by the Woodland Trust in 2008 and has grown to now accommodate more than 500,000 freshly planted new trees. From it's gloriously shaded green thickets to the acres of sprawling wildflower and orchid meadows, Heartwood Forest is also home to a host of varied wildlife. Such a captivating and enchanting environment for a great day out as there is so much to discover everywhere.

Heartwood Forest is located between Sandridge and Wheathampstead (approx 4km north of St Albans). Coming in from the main road (B651), there is a clear sign conveniently pointing to the car park. It is free to park there but not too big so I would imagine on a fine spring/summer day, you'd be lucky to find a space. It good to get there early if possible.

Exploring the woods
We picked up a map of the vast area which was informative and highlighted points of interest, including where some older sections of the woodland were.

With a whopping 858 acres to cover, Heartwood Forest boosts branching networks of paths including a public footpath and two bridleways. You may travel around the site by bike, horse or simply on foot. I opted for a more gentle, relaxing walk, lol. Bear in mind the Heartwood Forest is huge so don't expect to explore all it's intricacies and secrets all in one trip.

There are scattered patches of ancient woodland as well as newly planted sections. All at various stage of development and surrounded by open spaces of grass and wild flowers. Those all you need to do is stick to the trails and everything should be fine. You can get an idea of how in a few years from now, many sections of Heartwood will be transformed into incredible, large woods, containing many more of Mother Nature's furry and feathered creatures.

We came upon an subtle elavtion from ground level, giving a great view of the nearby Sandridge Village. Simply amazing! The air up here is so fresh and exhilarating.

I must say, we got really lucky as far as the weather was concerned. The sun was shining for all it was worth and provided for an exceptionally nice woodland walk. At certain intervals, there were tall, wooden signposts directing us where to go (and how to get back to the carpark, lol). Following these led to arcing, wide pathways, some of which are bridleways to other beautiful parts of woodland.