The magnificent trees that make up our forests

Deerpark

Deerpark forest dates back to the Domesday book. It is a mixed forest of broad leaves and conifers with over 25 identified species. The planted trees include an extensive stand of Oregon pines (Douglas firs) which reach over 130 feet, with an "under-story" of holly, ash and hazel. Deerpark also has claim to the tallest tree in Cornwall - a giant redwood or sequoia which was planted over 150 years ago and stands 160 foot tall. Also of note are about 30 Monterey pines planted as blast protection by a small quarry.

Blackwood Forest

Blackwood Forest consists largely of beech trees and is planted in rows for commercial Forestry enterprises. The forest floor is a carpet of shade-loving bluebells in the spring and a carpet of golden leaves in the autumn.  Along the edges of the forest and other internal boundaries you can see other tree species, such as oak, yew, silver birch, ash, sycamore, hazel, hornbeam, white beam, hawthorn, willow and dogwood.

Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean is a mixed woodland with ancient woodland areas. Douglas firs and pedunculate oak provide the canopy while the under-story is mostly hazel, holly and silver birch. Notable are the Napoleonic oaks, planted under the command of Admiral Nelson in 1814.

Thorpe Forest

Thorpe Forest is situated in a very special geographical region called the Brecks. It has its own micro-climate, sandy, light soils and one of the highest levels of biodiversity and rare species in the country. These unusual growing conditions have created an area where pine trees thrive. The most prevalent tree in Thetford Forest is the Corsican pine (62%), followed by the Scots pine (19%), mixed broad-leaved species (14%), Douglas fir (2%) and other conifer species (3%)

Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest is the least diverse of our woodland locations and is very much a pine forest. It is dominated by tall Scots pine, Corsican pine and Norway spruce trees. The forest is also home to 900 veteran oak trees, including of course the world famous Major Oak.

Cropton & Keldy

Cropton is predominantly surrounded by conifer plantation, so most trees are Scots pine, spruce and larch. Along the main drive, decorative trees were planted about 60 years ago. These include beech, red oak, leylandii and white beam. Over the years other trees have grown wild, the main two being birch and rowan, though willow, holly and oak are also fairly common.

Keldy is dominated by European larch plantation; it can grow to 30 metres tall and live for 250 years. The other main tree around Keldy is the silver birch, which has its characteristic white bark which can easily be peeled away. This is a useful tinder for bush skills.

Ardgartan Argyll

Our Ardgartan Argyll hot tub cabins have an open aspect overlooking Loch Long. This means you can see the pine-clad mountains all around you in a view that seems to represent all of Scotland. The immediate forest is of Sitka and Norway spruce, providing habitats for red squirrels, roe deer, buzzards and owls.

Strathyre

Our cabins at Strathyre set in deciduous trees of aspen, ash, oak, silver birch, hazel, hawthorn, rowan and alder, with a backdrop of evergreen Sitka spruce and Scots pine. These trees provide homes for rare species such as red squirrels and pine martens.