Sacred Wood

Last time I visited, Gary and Elise took me to Wistman's Wood, one of the remaining temperate rainforests, and one of the country's best examples of high altitude oak woodland. This is another. But this time, you could walk inside. It does not have the same foot-traffic as Wistman's, fortunately, so there has been no degradation of the rare ecosystem.

This place was spell-binding. Emerald moss, wispy lichen, gnarled trees, boulders in static free-fall.

There are a lot of photos - and the arrow isn't clear to see, but click on the right and you can spool through them.

We were all astounded by its unique beauty.

Here you can see what a talented photographer made of it on a misty day.

The one thing that worries me is that while there are trees dying and dead, I saw no evidence of regeneration. No seedlings or saplings - not that carpet of baby oaks.

Is it climate change or grazing? Or both? Or perhaps I am mistaken and my fears for this magical place's future are unwarranted.