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Introduction On a Thursday morning, we went on a journey into Charnwood Forest. During the walk, we gained abundant knowledge of different plants and trees. There were amazing views along the way, something we would never really feel without experiencing it in person. Therefore, after reading this follow us on our adventure into Charnwood Forest!
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1. Into the Unknown 2. On the Dragon's Back 3. Beacon Hill 4. Return 5. Plants We Found
Content 5
Into the Unknown Tired, tired, tired, but worth it.
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Our journey began in Queen's Park by sharing what we were taking with us.
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We started to walk from the town centre of Loughborough. All we knew it would be a long way to get to the forest. We walked for more than thirty minutes, through the surrounding houses and streets, sometimes along greener pathways.
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In the end it might have been an hour or more. We passed by roads, alleys, and walked through corn fields. We were out of the town but we could still not see the forest. We were led up a very narrow path and could look back and see the town.
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There were some plants which were taller than me and there were fences with barbed wire as well.
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On the Dragon's Back We keep going up and down ...
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We were going up and down. It is easier to walk in a “Z� pattern. Just before we got exhausted, we reached the top of the hill. The ground was filled with fallen leaves. The rocks around us were covered with green moss. Surprisingly, the air up there was so refreshing. One by one, everyone got to the top. We decided to have a break there. 13
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The trees were tall here, sunshine sprinkled through the leaves. The leaves were rustled gently by the wind. We stopped and sketched the trees and rocks. Something magnificent was right in front of us, some of the the oldest rocks in Britain known locally as the “Beacon Hill Hornstone�. The rocks of the Beacon Hill area were formed about 560 million years ago, from layer upon layer of volcanic ash that cooled as it sank into an ancient sea.
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We walked up and down so much! It was actually more difficult to walk downhill at times. We helped each other so that we could all go through every difficulty safely. That was really an unforgettable experience for us and we enjoyed it a lot.
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Beacon Hill Finally we arrived!
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The slope up to Beacon Hill from the Permissive Path was steep. We walked through the woodland path and came out near the top of the hill. As the time passed by, step by step, it seemed that we got closer to the end of our walk and our goal, but then we still had to walk back.
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Finally, we arrived at the top of Beacon Hill, which is our 'final destination'. It is a small hill surrounded by forest and meadows. When we looked back, Loughborough looked so tiny in the distance. 24
T h e r e w a s a w o n d e r f u l v i e w. Beacon Hill is located in the middle o f n e a r by c i t i e s l i ke L e i ce s te r, Nottingham and Derby, so we could see those from the top of the hill.
Beacon Hill is the second highest point in Leicestershire and commands a wonderful view. We found a toposcope to show the visible landmarks nearby.
We heard that on a clear day, it is posible to see the spire of Lincoln cathedral. Directly north is Ratcliffe P owe r S t a t i o n , a p p a re n t f ro m i t s massive cooling towers. 25
Return Tired, tired, tired, but worth it.
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The way down from was gentle and smooth. We were delighted with that.
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We visited the narrow forest path of the labyrinth, the bushes on the two sides twisted as snakes. It seemed like we were in a peculiar and secret wonderland. We then walked through Broombriggs Farm to Woodhouse Eaves. 28
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We had already been walking back for three hours. Everyone was running out of the energy. We saw Great Central Railway from a stone bridge and we were still in very rural surroundings.
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When we left the forest, we felt tired but satisfied. We already looked forward to visiting Charnwood Forest again.
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Some Plants We Found Ivy
Hedera, commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae.
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus Rubus in the family Rosaceae.
Elderberry
Over the centuries, elderberry has been used to treat colds, flu, fever, burns, cuts, and more than 70 other maladies.
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Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) is an invasive plant, meaning it crowds out beneficial plants that have naturally grown in your community for centuries.
Nettle
Injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact ("contact urticaria").
Dock Leaf
It is said that the pain from nettle stings can be soothed by dock leaves.
Rowan
Rowans are excellent small ornamental trees for parks, gardens and wildlife areas. They are popular for their unusual fruit colour and very attractive to fruit-eating birds, which is reflected in the old name "bird catcher".
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Acknowledgements
Contributing: Tai Hsuan Lu Cheng Hung Tsai Kuan Yuan Pan Jakkrit Jaewtrakul Yichen Lu Fang Tzu Lin Pei Hsin Lin Chang Chih Yi Assistance and additional Photographs: Kev Ryan Natalie Chabaud James Chantry First Published in August 2018 Copyright: Charnwood Arts and Individual Authors Charnwood Arts acknowledges core support from Arts Council England and Charnwood Borough Council.
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Enjoy the Forest !
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