Birch Plantation

Wood, Forest in Northumberland

England

Birch Plantation

Birch Plantation, located in Northumberland, is a picturesque wood or forest renowned for its breathtaking scenery and diverse ecosystem. Spanning over a vast area, the plantation is home to an abundance of birch trees, which lend the woodland its name and distinctive appearance.

The woodland is characterized by its dense vegetation, with trees reaching impressive heights and forming a lush canopy overhead. The birch trees, with their slender trunks and distinctive white bark, create a striking contrast against the vibrant green foliage. This creates a captivating visual experience, particularly during the spring and summer months when the forest is in full bloom.

Birch Plantation boasts a rich and varied wildlife population. Birds such as woodpeckers, owls, and various songbirds are frequently spotted flitting between the trees, while small mammals like squirrels and rabbits scurry through the undergrowth. The forest floor is carpeted with an array of wildflowers, ferns, and mosses, further enriching the ecosystem and providing habitats for insects and other invertebrates.

The woodland is a popular destination for nature enthusiasts, hikers, and photographers. Visitors can explore the various walking trails that wind through the plantation, offering stunning views and opportunities for wildlife spotting. The peaceful ambiance and tranquil atmosphere make it an ideal place for relaxation and contemplation, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Overall, Birch Plantation in Northumberland is a captivating woodland, offering a unique and immersive experience in the heart of nature.

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Birch Plantation Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.899293/-2.024466 or Grid Reference NY9856. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Lane Head

Les Hull

Track Junction, High Kellas Plantation

A lonesome pine standing tall in a much younger block of forestry.

Mick Garratt

Ditch End, Low Kellas Plantation

A competitor in an orienteering event is approaching a control sited at the ditch end.

Mick Garratt

Lane Head

Peter McDermott

Coal Road leading to Slaley Golf Course

Les Hull

Donald's Grave near Esper Shields

Donald's Grave is apparently the name of this boundary stone on the south side of the minor road that runs from Kiln Pit Hill on the A68 to Blanchland, 10m east of the Coal Road (track) that leads north-west through the grounds of Slaley Hall. The stone is Grade II Listed (List Entry Number: 1045376) and is described as: "Probable boundary marker, C18th or perhaps a reworking of a more ancient stone. Gritstone. Roughly-cut monolith of trapezoidal plan, exposed height 0.9 metres. East face with incised B; north face with remains of incised design, possibly a cross within a circle; west face incised A (laid sideways) and S." See closer photo here NZ0054 : Donald's Grave near Esper Shields (detail) Local researchers think the stone may be an allotment marker from the Bulbeck Common Award (1771) which was divided between George Silvertop of Minsteracres (S) and George Baker (B), the Lord of the Manor. It has also been suggested that Donald's Grave may have originally been mapped on the north side of the road but the nature of the feature represented by the name is not specified. There are two further named stones just to the north, possibly on the same boundary: Greyhound Stone (which I couldn't find) and Hare Stone, an C18th boundary stone. All 3 stones are named on the 1st Edition 6" OS Map Northumberland, 104 (1864): Link

Only Donald's Grave is represented on current large scale mapping. The Hare Stone is also Listed Grade II (List Entry Number: 1370318) said to be marked B (Blanchland) on south-west, and S (Slaley) on north-east side NY9955 : The Hare Stone near Slaley Hall The hill in the field beyond the wall is named Hairy Side.

Andrew Curtis

Donald's Grave near Esper Shields (detail)

See description here NZ0054 : Donald's Grave near Esper Shields

Andrew Curtis

Harvesting a section of Slaley Forest

Signs at the entrance to the eastern end of Slaley Forest warn of a number of closed tracks as a diamond-shaped section of the plantation was being actively clear-cut. The noise of chainsaws filled the air, which a tractor dragged cut logs on a trailer, using a crane to lift these into stacks. A big road-legal timber truck was the other side of the logpile using its own crane to take them off again and away to become glamourous new products like fenceposts or newsprint.

Andy Waddington

Forest track in Slaley Forest

A byway is shown on maps running roughly east-west for a kilometre and a half in this area of Slaley Forest, but on the ground, the line it supposedly takes is just densely planted forest. Instead, one is obliged to take a longer route via a number of SW-NE and SE-NW forest tracks such as this one, which are not rights of way of any description (though the bulk of the forest is CROW Access Land).

Andy Waddington

Forest track branches off byway, Slaley Forest

The route to the right is supposedly a byway, though the line of that right of way some way ahead seems to have been wholly effaced by the forest leaving only rather longer routes on the forest tracks (with signage making clear that these are not for vehicles). The route to the left is one of these tracks, and the one we have just taken to reach this point (in the absence of any trace of the byway we'd intended to use starting about two kilometres away).

Andy Waddington