Kipling, Blake, and Woolf all helped the Eastern Downs become known as the fairest and most famous landscape of Southern England. However, not everyone shared this view. Others complained about their bare, nakedness, and compared them to “the limbs and shoulders of plucked fowls”. Instead, they yearned for the Downs to be “clothed in trees”. Well, if these people wanted rounded Downs AND trees they should have visited the Western Weald! We have both in ample supply. In fact, the history of the Weald, western or otherwise, is all about trees. The term ‘weald’ is derived from the Old English for ‘woodland’. This makes trees our USP. So, why not indulge your inner tree-hugger with a tree-focussed visit to the Western Weald this spring. There are walks to explore, traditional crafts to support, events to enjoy and colossi of the tree world to marvel.
Woodland wanders
The most striking aspect of the Western Weald is its variety of woodland: each with its own distinct feel and story. If you like your trees unkempt and gravity defying you will love a wander in the wild, high beech and yew woods of the East Hampshire Hangers, which so inspired the poet Edward Thomas. However, if you instead find relaxation in orderly planting, you might prefer the dense, yet regimented sweet chestnut and conifer plantations of the large Sussex estates such as Cowdray and Goodwood. These are mostly working woods, where foresters, coppicers and charcoal burners all make a living alongside pleasure seekers. Different again are the eerily dark, sterile, and silent yew groves of Kingley Vale. With the yew so closely connected to Celtic, pagan folklore, the value of this particular woodland is firmly spiritual.
Traditional skills
It is the Western Weald’s rich coppicing heritage that dynamic coppicer Rosie Rendell is helping support at The Maker’s Barn, Petworth. She describes the difference between forestry and coppicing as “big vs little sticks”. Rosie, and others like her, make a living cutting wood in the colder months, then using it to craft fences, hurdles etc in the warmer ones. Often working alone and in remote locations, these skilled people can be challenging to find. However, no more. The Makers Barn now provides a charming one-stop shop championing both tradition and skill.
The barn showcases beautifully crafted, coppiced products. However, through annual events like “Meet the Maker’, people can also get to know both the person and story behind what they are buying. Down the line Rosie wants the barn to also become a centre for learning. This will be a mixture of educating people about the benefits of coppicing for wildlife and the rural economy, as well as helping secure the next generation of coppice workers and craftspeople. Why not visit the Maker’s Barn to help keep these traditional skills and way of life alive.
All the fun of the fair
Described as “a wood fair like no other”, West’s Wood Fair each June is well worth pencilling into your diary. This annual event, attended by the “Sussex wood-eratti”, is held at West’s of East Dean (near Goodwood). This is the home of furniture maker brothers Peter and Gil West, whose family business goes back more than 200 years. Regular events on the programme include chainsaw carving and races, the scrumpy stakes, pole climbing and axe throwing. Alongside these expect a long list of exhibitors and local food and drink providers.
Image: West’s Wood Fair
Colossi of the tree world
To enjoy trees you don’t necessarily have to visit a wood or even see them in their prime. Just as the worn bodies of elderly people tell the tale of a life well-lived, so wonky, hollow, and shrunken trees have witnessed unimaginable history. Petworth Park is home to some of the country’s oldest and most vulnerable beeches, limes, and oaks. One even dates back to the Norman Conquest. You can walk the park tree trail following this easy to follow guide.
Other trees with a story include Cowdray’s Queen Elizabeth Oak (that’s the first, not second), Upper Farringdon’s 3000-year-old yew and the remains of Selborne’s veteran. This great yew was blown down in a storm in 1990. However, a cross-section of its trunk has been preserved and labelled with the great events of history it witnessed. This certainly provides pause for thought. Lastly, if you want to learn more about trees, look no further than West Dean Gardens. The extensive and well-labelled arboretum is a tree-lover’s dream. Not only are there many evergreens to brighten any winter wander, but you are sure to encounter a new tree or two. For me this was the wonderfully named Tree of Heaven. It surely feels right at home in the Western Weald, tree paradise.
Woodland wonder
The only way to discover any woodland is on foot. The simple process of putting one foot in front of the other gives us ample time to both observe and understand how they have been shaped by layers of geology, nature and history. If the Western Weald is new to you, why not join a Rural Strides walk into the heart of our woods. It is here you will connect with the life blood of this beautiful area and sense its beating pulse.
