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Have you ever seen an oak tree dance? Britain is full of 'lost' rainforests, predominantly in the southwest and northwest of England, western/northwestern parts of Wales and the west coast of Scotland. There are other areas where the conditions are perfect too, like this one in the Peak District National Park. When the rain starts and the cloud base drops into the rainforest, the trees come alive. Everywhere you look, there is magic and mystery. 340 comments
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@Etain18 @timsmalley @timsmalley I was fortunate enough to be shown round Glenborrodale on the Ardnamurchan peninsula earlier this year, and it was one of the most magical places I’ve ever experienced. We need to protect, cherish and understand the importance of these irreplaceable habitats. Here’s a story I wrote about the experience: https://www.beer52.com/ferment/article/1432/when-is-a-tree-not-a-tree @croasdalio Adnamurchan is a really special place. I have only visited twice, but have been meaning to revisit & give it some proper time with the camera. It’s perhaps an excuse to visit after joining the RSPB when Truss chose to attack nature. I’ve long been a supporter of the Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trusts & NT, but the proposed investment zone plans were a disgrace given what is happening to the wildlife in the Tees estuary as a direct result of the free port dredging. @timsmalley Beautiful pictures, reminds me a lot of the Olympic National Park in Washington, USA. @trv3lr I spent a bit of time in WA when I was in the tech industry and I was fortunate to take a bus trip from Seattle to Vancouver - I chose that rather than flying as I had a day to kill between meetings... It is such a stunning part of the world and I was blessed with my choice. @timsmalley these trees make me so happy. Beautiful work. The bluish mist in that last one. Ooh. Nice. @timsmalley Stunning trees! and excellent shots. Very uplifting to see these - thanks for sharing! @RabbitPellets Wow, someone's got some mad skills. I remember being at an event while volunteering for one of our environmental NGOs, and being next to chainsaw carvers. Their work was incredible, but all I could hear for a week was the sound of a chainsaw. 🤣 @timsmalley would you mind sharing where this is exactly? Always looking for hidden little gems in the Peaks! @rbeagrie Hi Rob, I can't help with the exact location as I follow the Nature First principles. I have seen too much damage done at popular spots... for example, at the base of Buachaille Etive Mor with the waterfall in front of it (perhaps the most photographed spot in the UK), where the peat moorland flora has been completely destroyed and turned into a peat bog. It's a gorge not far from Hathersage and on weekends there is usually an ice cream van in the roadside parking area. @timsmalley Hi Tim, long time no see! I love the oak tree photos; that looks a lot like Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor. I may have a few photos of it. If I can find them I'll post them for comparison. @Cliff_Smith_Photography hey Cliff, long time no speak! Hope you are well? Wistman's Wood is a stunner that just blows my mind. @Rjdlandscapes thanks, it's not a quick process - the biggest tip is revisit, revisit, revisit. And walk the same paths. Once you get in tune with a place it does get easier. @gretwms so many are in a bad state at the moment as a result of poor policy decisions. For example, removing grey wolves created an imbalance in the ecosystem that resulted in a massive amount of damage being done to these places in NW Scotland. The red deer have no natural predators and love eating saplings, which has a devastating impact on natural regeneration in these rainforests. Work is underway to buy up many of the areas and protect them with buffer zones, deer fences, etc.  @timsmalley beautiful and magical!! As an American born boy, growing up in West Oxfordshire, I loved the fields and forests @Computeforloot thanks very much - Wychwood forest is one of my favourite oak woods. There are so many big old oak trees, and perhaps the greatest concentration of 6m+ ancient oaks in Europe is in the grounds of Blenheim Palace. @timsmalley Wow! Absolutely stunning - I am such a fan of oak trees (all trees really). This is magical 😍❤️  @timsmalley If I was walking in that woodland, I would definitely be envisioning wee fairies and other magical creatures. Beautiful! @tjtreehugger2 thanks very much - next time I visit, I'll give them a hug on your behalf ;-) @timsmalley “ the isle of oaks and crows”, this was one description of England that came out from our recent walk around the South Devon coast last weekend. Sometimes ominous, but full of magic. It’s a shame that there are so few forest areas left @timsmalley LOVE! If I ever get the chance to travel in that direction, THIS is the stuff I want to see. I love trees and forests. @timsmalley There is a project to make a UK rainforest map, specifically wanting photos. In the end I couldn't find any so all I could contribute was a memory and map reference. @timsmalley @timsmalley no but I did see a silver birch shimmy in the autumn breeze. I think you need to be at a distance so you can see the whole tree to appreciate it properly. This one was on a golf course and I was about 100 yards away. It really was beautiful to see the sensuous looking movement. @timsmalley Beautiful photos - and beautiful scene created by weather for our enjoyment. @biffvernon yep, I have been following Guy for a long time. The Lost Rainforests is an excellent book. @stella just beautiful, Stella - thanks for sharing... they are literally the cream of the crop. Ancient woodland is our most biodiverse habitat in the UK, and the temperate Celtic rainforests are the top 1% of ancient woods. So glad you were able to visit @timsmalley The Temperate Rainforest on the Western Coast of Scotland is a little-known and under-appreciated natural gem. Lichen hanging from trees in drapes, moss banks feet deep, ferns, fungus and the wildlife and fauna that make it their habitat. Like a scene out of Lord of the Rings. @timsmalley I love this. Growing up in the west country but in lowland, I began believing oaks were solitary things under which cattle rested. Climbing onto Exmoor and Dartmoor, they look very different around Doone valley, the oaks are thin and tangly. The quintessential Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor is rooted over mossy boulders, rather like some of the ones you show here. @timsmalley @timsmalley @timsmalley - such beautiful pictures - trees are so precious and yet for all their strengths give off a ethereal aura - being amongst them in forests whenever I get an opportunity is a privilege for me @timsmalley Wonderful photos. Evocative of my childhood holidays exploring a coastal coombe in North Devon which is now referred to as Atlantic rainforest. @jjverhels Ik ben net begonnen in The Lost Rainforests of Britain van Guy Shrubsole. Na vier hoofdstukken durf ik het boek al aanraden. (En wil ik deze zomer in zo'n regenwoud wandelen.) Hij heeft ook een uitstekende website: https://lostrainforestsofbritain.org @timsmalley Ahhh all your photos are amazing Tim! Thank you! (Do I recall a similar shot to the second whizzing by on my Twitter timeline that captured another photographer?) @timsmalley Lots of this in Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean. Well worth a visit.   |
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@timsmalley Gorgeous!