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.

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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.

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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.

(A lone tree against a stunningly blue sky. I love the scene it sets.)

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(Some perky little daisies.)

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Newly Planted & Ancient Forests

We began our trek from the new plantation aptly named "Magical Wood" near the car park entrance. From there, we followed along the outskirts of the encompassing path to arrive at the the fully matured "Langley Wood". I love how you can compare the wonderful mix of old and new woodland, surrounded by the luscious, rolling open countryside.

(These signposts are your salvation if you lose your way in the humoungous area.)

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(The long, winding pathways seemed to stretch out forever.)

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Because of the work of it's thousands of volunteer staff, Heartwood Forest is very much a work in progress, but it's staggering just how far they've come. This is a new forest being developed by the woodland trust which means there are more open space and young trees than you might first expect (though that just adds to the charm of the place).

So whilst not established woodland in all areas just yet, it is advisable to stick to the paths or trails as frequently as possible, so as to not damage these little saplings. Such an enjoyable exploratory adventure through some really stunning sections of undergrowth and budding woods. Sometimes I found it hard to believe London, where I live, was just a mere half an hour's drive away.

(I doubt these are edible, lol)

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(Love the style of these wooden benches. Perfect for a cosy picnic spot out in the sun.)

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Below is an old woodland, home to vast numbers of trees (many over a hundreds years old). Because of the baking sun, the yawning branches above us provided for a nice, soothing shade.

(A rather large dog jumped into this small pond to cool off but I missed the shot by seconds!)

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(Doesn't this look like a rather wizened old face embedded in the trunk of this tree?)

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(Most definitely not edible, I'm sure!)

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Heartwood’s Wildlife

Heartwood Forest lends for almost a perfect habitat for the dozens of species of wildlife that reside there. Such as wide varieties of birds, deer and hares to name a few. Although we didn’t see much at them that day, there were plenty of quaint little carved statuettes bordering the paths. What an original and innovative way to introduce the animals to children too.

(The kids simply loved this cool entrance-way carving.)

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(One of my favourite features here in Heartwood. The animal statuettes.)

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Dogs are most welcome to run around and frolic to their heart's content, though must be kept on a lead in certain areas (however, these are far and few between so you should be just fine). Another thing to be aware of are the numerous bridleways and horses that regularly trot through them!

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One thing of note though is there are no bathroom facilities nor refreshment venues on-site so you will may have to wait for one of the various local pubs just outside the car park entrance.

All in all, Heartwood Forest is a vast, beautiful natural forest offering some really amazing features. A place where every one of us can bask in it's tranquil and secluded setting. And if you get really lucky, you may even spot some of the awesome wildlife there too! Maybe next time for me, eh? There are miles and miles of beautiful woodland to explore. What more could you ask for when used to the concrete jungles of city life, right? A genuinely idyllic place with the emphasis on nature's restoration being an extremely positive one. I love it here and will most definitely return to enjoy more of what Heartwood Forest has to offer.

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Garden Barbecue To Wrap Up an Awesome Day

As a possible finisher to a hard day's trekking and rambling, you can visit one of the local pubs for some lunch. We went for a toss up between The Rose and Crown or The Green Man, which are located just opposite each other. We chose the former. The Rose and Crown seems very family friendly and due to the extended bank holiday weekend, we were treated to a marvellous barbecue session in their beer garden. Great tastes and great times! This is the life!

(These traditional old fireplaces are so inviting and homely.)

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(More fun in the sun and some much needed good food to follow!)

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(Looks like I made a new friend! Till next time... ）

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上周末我去了圣奥尔本斯附近的心木森林。这是一个受保护的美丽绿色地带，通过国家名胜古迹信托和许多的志愿者的共同努力，让这里的树木得以蓬勃发展，防止它们被人们砍伐和毁坏。我特别喜欢那种回归大自然的安宁，也为越来越多人有这种环保意识感到高兴。

心木森林是英国最大的新林地。它于2008年被国家名胜古迹信托收购，发展到现在孕育着50万种新种植的树木。森林里绿树浓荫，野花遍地，也是众多不同野生动物的栖身之地，非常迷人！

位于Sandridge和Wheathampstead之间心木森林，一点儿也不难找。开车从主干线B651出发，按指示牌就能找到心木森林的停车场。车场是免费的但不大，我可以想象在春夏季天气好的日子里，来晚了可能会没有车位哦。

探索树林

我们找到了一张森林地图，这张地图很丰富，详尽地描绘了森林的各个部分以及景点。心木森林拥有高达858英亩的面积，有多个分支路径可供选择。游客们可以骑自行车，骑马或徒步旅行。我选择了轻松休闲的徒步，呵呵。森林非常大，大家可不要指望一天时间就可以全部走完哦。

整个森林有划分古老林和新种植林，它们分别处于不同的发展阶段。四周是草地和野花的开阔空间。走上高处，还可以欣赏到附近Sandridge村庄的美景。

就天气而言，我们算是非常幸运的。阳光下的心木森林风景如画，天上飘着几朵白云，翠绿的草坪映衬着蓝天，使蓝天更加湛蓝，简直美呆了！

新种植林和古老林

我们在停车场附近的新种植区 “Magrical Wood”开始跋涉，沿着路径走到比较成熟的古老林区 “Langley Wood”。我比较喜欢这样新旧林地配搭的路径，是完全不同的体验哦。

心木森林是一个正在发展的项目，这广阔开放的空间却已经种植了一排排密密麻麻的幼树，让我感到相当震撼！ 这是成千上万志愿者的努力结晶，我可以想象几年或十几年后，这里将发育成如何郁郁葱葱，密密层层的林海！

由于大片的林区都正在培育中，我会建议大家尽量坚持走开辟的路径，以免损坏这些小树苗。漫步丛林中，我吮吸着花草的芳香，享受着阳光的沐浴，情不自禁地沉浸在这片绿海中。真难想象这里距离繁华的伦敦都市也只是半个多小时的路程。

不知不觉我们来到了古老林 “Langley Wood”，这里有着与新林区完全不同的风貌。在茂密的树林里，每棵大树都有几百年以上的历史。纵横交错的树枝，粗壮而结实，像一双双张开的大手。忽然感觉到一股清新的空气迎面扑来，仔细闻一闻那新鲜的空气中散发着松脂的清香，流露出森林特有的气味，淡淡的，令人神清气爽的味道。

野生动物

心木森林为居住在这里的数十种野生动植物提供了几乎完美的栖息地，如品种繁多的鸟类，鹿和野兔等等。虽然我们当天没有看到太多的动物，但一路上有很多古老的动物雕刻，我觉得这种向儿童介绍野生动物的方式很有原创的风格，也很有趣。

许多人来这儿遛狗，让动物们也享受在大自然里奔跑那种自由的感觉。只有一少部分领域规定狗是需要被主人牵着的。另外，有马匹经过的时候也要注意让道。

心木森林是大自然的一个巨大宝库，也是我们每个人的休闲好去处。如果幸运的话，你也许还能看见一些可爱的野生动物哦！对于我们这些习惯于城市生活的人，能在开阔美丽的森丽里漫步，真的很难得啊！我好喜欢心木森林，一个回归自然的梦幻地方！

The Rose and Crown花园烧烤

在森林里漫步了四个多小时，我们决定在当地的酒吧休息用餐。The Rose and Crown和The Green Man这两家就在停车场外面，他们在网上都有不错的点评，我们选了前者。碰巧The Rose and Crown 在他们的啤酒花园举行烧烤派对，被我们赶上了，呵呵！香喷喷的烧烤加啤酒，生活真美好！