Saturday 26 October 2013

A Golden Forest, An Ancient Church and Charcoal Burning






The great beech trees of Epping Forest are beautiful at any time of year, but when I visited here in August I made a promise to myself that I'd come back to see their autumn colours.  I think mature beech trees are the trees of autumn; their leaves turn from green to gold to copper before forming a magic copper carpet on the ground.  As Epping Forest is reported to contain over 80% of all the UK's ancient beech trees, it has to be the best place to come and see this wonderful sight.

But when would be right time to make this visit? Looking at the trees where I am I've noticed that many of the leaves are still green - and this ties in with reports on the news that autumn is about two-three weeks later this year. So should I leave my forest visit until early November?



Well, I decided to go now - because with reports of gales arriving over the next couple of days, there's a good chance I could go all the way there and find only bare branches! But a visit this week did mean that instead of finding copper, I found a blend of green, copper and gold. In fact, gold was the true colour of the forest that day, because a lovely sun lit up all the leaves. So, although it was a different sight to the one I'd planned - it wasn't a disappointment at all. And I was still able to wander through the carpet of copper...




After I visited the forest, I called in at nearby Greensted Church. Greensted Church is reported to be the oldest wooden church in the world and the oldest wooden building still standing in Europe, so this fascinates me because of my love of wood. As we're completing our own, traditional, timber-frame barn at home, it's inspiring to see an ancient example of a wooden building...

Greensted Church


The first Saxon settlers here worshipped their gods in groves in the forest. But after they converted to Christianity, the first church was built on this site in the late sixth or early seventh century. Dendrochronological analysis of the timber walls indicates that the church standing today was constructed around 1060-1063 AD.  Changes have been made to the church over the centuries to preserve it, for example, around 1500, the thatched roof was replaced with tiles and the timber tower, clad in Essex weatherboarding, was probably built in the 1600s. Windows have been added, too, as the Saxon nave would have been windowless with the church lit by lamps...








Further restoration was undertaken in the Victorian era and this included shortening the base of the ancient timbers...






A Crusader's grave lies just outside the church.  It's possible that the Crusader was something of a local hero, because he was placed against the south wall, and his coffin lid was made of stone (not a local material.)









Back at home...

There are some signs of autumn in our trees (I had to include this pic to show off our extra long sheep!!)




We'll be using wood from our trees for charcoal burning - our new project.  As we're surrounded by hornbeam and sweet chestnut, this is the wood we'll use to burn...

Charcoal Burners



More on this when we get going!

Meanwhile a huge oak has come crashing down in a nearby meadow.  As you can see, the crown appeared to be very healthy (the whole tree appeared very healthy from the outside), but the trunk was rotten inside...











The crown





Fortunately, it didn't do any damage. It'll be moved, because the meadow is used, but I always find it fascinating when fallen, dying trees are left because they'll become a new home for lots of different insects.

Last of all, we've added a new spirit to our collection of carvings, gargoyles and grotesques. We recently bought this Green Man i.e. this isn't one we've made, and he makes us smile because his fierce expression reminds of someone we know!



So I'm waiting, now, for these gales. The '87 hurricane had a huge impact on our nearby wood - and there are still plenty of fallen trees lying around from that time. I wonder if these coming gales will change the local landscape dramatically, too?

54 comments:

  1. I hope the gales in your area are not too strong and everything remains intact! The property around your home is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing with us the story and photos of the church. What a fascinating structure. I hope you have a great day, Wendy!

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    1. Thanks Stacy. I'm hoping the gales won't be as bad as some of the forecasts - they're due to hit tonight. The church is a very special building and it's very peaceful there. Have a great day, too!

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    2. Hello Wendy, I read last night that the storm was huge ~ I am thinking of you and hope all is well.

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    3. That's very kind of you, Stacy. Fortunately, although the storm was a bit fierce around breakfast time, it soon passed over without any damage here. Just lots of branches and leaves to clear up, now!

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  2. Dear Wendy - I do agree that the Beech woods give the most magical colours in the autumn. We have one just near here, and I checked my photos from last year and they seemed to be at their best last November around the 18th. I just love their smooth soft grey trunks contrasting so beautifully with the golden leaves.
    Lovely to see Greensted church - I have got it book marked in Simon Jenkins 'England's Thousand Best Churches' in case we are ever travelling in that area.
    Looking forward to knowing more about your charcoal burners! and lets hope that the weather forecasters have got it all wrong.

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    1. Thanks Rosemary. That's very interesting about last year's date for your beech. I am fascinated by how natural events compare from year to year and I must start making more notes about them here. Although Autumn is so much later this year, the gales will take so many of the leaves, of course (if they're going to be as bad as the forecast!)
      I've visited Greensted Church three or four times now. It's such a wonderful link with the Saxon age.

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  3. My mother always used to preserve beech leaves for flower arrangements so I have always loved the beech tree.The colours you have captured from Epping Forest are fantastic. We too were planning a trip to see the splendour of the autumn leaves and wondering whether next week will be too late. I love the wooden church it is wonderful how it has stood the test of time.
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah. Hope you see some beautiful autumnal trees on your trip. There is still so much green here, but Epping Forest had enough golden tints to look stunning.
      It is good news that Greensted Church wasn't just knocked down and replaced at some stage over the years. It seems like local people always wanted to preserve it.

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  4. I remember a drive through the Chilterns on a sunny golden autumn day - the very air was gold - as if it was yesterday. (It was about 20 years ago!) Your beautiful photgraphs remind me of it. Thank you ..such a lovely post.

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    1. Thanks Freda. Those moments always stay with you, don't they? When the sun comes out and catches the autumn leaves the trees light up and look stunning. Such a beautiful, natural sight.

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  5. I love beech. It is the most prominent tree in our own woods, along with oak and ash. Keep safe over the next couple of days Wendy. I am dreading it. We are surrounded by trees and the ground is so wet..

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    1. Thanks Jessica. Beech is wonderful, isn't it? I love to see the great, ancient trees with those massive trunks.
      Take care, too - hopefully the gales won't cause so much damage after all.

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  6. A fascinating story and lovely photographs as always. I wish we had sweet chestnut - a great wood for fencing stakes, I believe.

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    1. Thanks Ian. We rely on sweet chestnut here for so many things (and we'll be using it for winter fencing here) We're fortunate that there's so much about.

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  7. Lovely photo's! Our trees are at the mixed colours stage, though some are completely bare. I hope the weather's kind to you over the next few days. x

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  8. I too think that beech treees give the most glorious autumnal display but I did notice that they seemed to be turning later this year. Other trees seem more muted in their changing colours than last year too. I remember visiting the little church at Greenstead many years ago with a local history group so it was lovely to see it again. I hope the fierce expression of your green man keeps those storms at bay:)

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    1. Thanks Rosie. I'm not sure, but I believe we need some colder weather for the leaves to turn a deep colour and of course it's been so warm here. I'm interested that you visited Greensted Church, too. It does have a story, doesn't it?

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  9. Hello Bea and thanks for visiting. The woods here look a mixture of summer and autumn as well. Hope bad weather misses you, too.

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  10. Lovely photos Wendy. That church looks an interesting building, I've had a fascination for churches and graveyards since I was a child, not because I'm religious because I am not.. but for the history etc. I'm doing my family history and love visiting the churches where my ancestors were baptised, married and buried.

    I hope this storm isn't going to be as bad as they are saying.. we're battening down the hatches in case but there is only so much you can do..

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    1. Thanks Julie. I also love visiting churches where I have a family connection. There are so many parishes I'd like to visit now having discovered that my ancestors lived there.
      Fingers crossed that the storm won't be that bad. We're a bit worried about the Poplar trees in the lane outside - they're so shallow-rooted.

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  11. Lovely photos - the forest looks so autumnal and I loved reading about the church and its history :)

    Fascinated to hear of your charcoal burning project and look forward to hearing how it progresses :)

    Am so envious of your lovely Green Man - absolutely beautiful :) I have a book on The Green Man in Britain by F and G Doel in my pile of books to read and I always look for sculptures when in churches etc.

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    1. Thanks Caroline. Charcoal burning is very new for us, so it'll be interesting!
      I love looking for Green Man faces in churches, too and I didn't know about the book so I've made a note of it - thanks. Even our parish church has a Green Man. I'd love to know the history of it.

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  12. Love your latest Green Man. Beautiful beech forest, mine have just gone instantly brown and are flying of the trees I think I will have bare beeches all winter, most odd. And no real signs of Autumn either, maybe further south on the Island, but not up here. I love that church, what a marvellous building. Hope you escape storm damage.

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    1. Thanks Janet. That's interesting about your beech trees. We've had such an unusual year - weather-wise - so I wonder if that is a reason. Fascinating that you also haven't seen much of autumn yet, either.
      We're still waiting for the storm, here. I imagine you'll see some turbulent seas if it is a severe one.

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  13. What gorgeous colours those leaves are! I like your new species of long sheep! Your photo of the charcoal burners is great - I love the teasels and the light you have captured them in! A big fan of the green man amongst the autumn leaves too :)

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    1. Thanks Lou Mary. I couldn't resist including the photo of the sheep! The teasels just keep spreading in this wild area by the new charcoal burners. I take plenty out each year, but have to leave a few in because the insects love them so much.

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  14. Superb photos of the trees in the forest and I love your long-bodied sheep with three pairs of legs! I'm fascinated by charcoal burning too so will be very interested in how you get on. The green man is great- I have one that hangs over the fire place who you can put candles in, and also one in my clinic. Take care during these high winds- hope you are all OK tonight.

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    1. Thanks CT. We've always wanted to have a go at charcoal burning so we're looking forward to starting it. I'm interested that you have Green Man images, too. We love carvings etc like that here and are always finding new spaces for them. Take care in the storm, too.

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  15. Old beech trees are my favorite trees, so beautiful. I don't like visiting graveyards, except the old ones in England, they are so natural and peaceful and so different from our neat and tidy graveyards. When we were on holidays near Shaftesbury we even visited a church and graveyard where sheep were grazing, just amazing.

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    1. Thanks Janneke. I completely agree about graveyards; I like to see them natural, too. They can be real havens for wildlife then and I think that's wonderful. I like the idea of sheep grazing a graveyard - so much more peaceful than a noisy lawnmower cutting the grass.

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  16. Carpets of gold - beautiful. Love the church, although the stained windows look strangely out of place. Charcoal burning eh - you are becoming a proper woodsman.

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    1. Thanks Elaine. I like to imagine the church as the Saxon worshippers would have liked it - dark and lit only by lamps. The atmosphere must have been incredible.
      Will report on how the charcoal burning goes!

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  17. Oh....I hope the trees don't get beaten like they did in '87!

    Oh....the woods are simply gorgeous, I love beech trees and have six huge ones in our garden, I do agree about them being the autumn tree. I love that third pic....what a stunning old tree.

    I loved the church, what an ancient place.....and you loooooong sheep made me laugh.

    I am looking forward to hearing more about charcoal burning, oh my....how exciting.....and I love your green man.xxxx

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    1. Thanks Snowbird. I think the storm is just passing over as I write, so I'll be out to inspect any damage, soon (hoping there isn't much of course).
      How lovely to have some huge beech trees in your own garden. There are so many fabulous old beeches in Epping Forest. Ancient trees with such stories behind them.
      Charcoal burning will be adventure, I think!

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  18. I love visiting churches. The village of my childhood had a lovely Saxon church. In Canada many wooden churches exist, monuments to the pioneer spirit. I can spend hours in churchyards, so much history, so much to ponder. Sweet chestnut and hornbeam-I'm envious.

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    1. Thanks Susan. How wonderful that you had a Saxon church where you grew up and that's fascinating about the Canadian churches - a real link to another era. I can spend hours in churchyards, too for those same reasons. They are places where the history of the local community is found.

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  19. Hurrah! You've been in my neck of the woods again! Greensted Church is gorgeous - so beautiful, and I agree entirely that the forest is just fabulous at this time of year - that mix of beech and oak trees is just wonderful!

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    1. Thanks Robyn. Yes - I was there! The forest is looking glorious, isn't it? Hope it isn't too long before I make another visit there and also to Greensted Church.

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  20. Ha ha the long bodied sheep looks fab! Beautiful tree images, we went to Cockington for our tree fix yesterday-like you before the storm. Still a lot of green leaves for late October. Looking forward to your charcoal making posts.

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    1. Thanks Suzie. I wonder when the autumn colours will really start to transform the woodlands this year. I'll also wander through our local woods over the next few days to see if there is much storm damage, too.
      We're almost ready to begin the charcoal burning.

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  21. Gorgeous autumn colours and what a beautiful little church :-) I've always been interested in charcoal burning so I will be fascinating to see how you get along. Hope you (and the trees) survived the storm without any significant damage.

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    1. Thanks David. As expected, many of the poplars across the lane from us have shed branches in the storm, Fortunately, although a few of these blocked the lane and we had to move them, because of the wind direction most fell the other way across a field.
      As we're complete beginners with the charcoal burning we'll be learning quickly, I reckon!

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  22. You have caught Epping Forest looking beautiful, beech trees do turn the most delicious colour and there is nowhere better to be at this time of year.
    Hope you managed to escape any damage from the storm, we just lost the top of one of our oaks, along with the electricity and phone lines!

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    1. Thanks Pauline. I'm sorry to hear about the damage to your oak and that you lost power and phone yesterday, that is a nuisance. We were lucky here, many of the surrounding villages lost power from around 7am until late evening but we escaped that.
      I could have wandered for hours in Epping Forest that day - so many beautiful trees there to see.

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  23. Your forests look so different from ours. They're so open and the trees are just so old. Incredibly beautiful! I heard about the storms and hope you came through them safely.

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    1. Thanks Tammy. We do have lovely forests here - but they're shrinking all the time. There is so much development here. I expect your forests are so much larger - I would love that.
      The storm didn't do any real damage, fortunately.

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  24. Hi Wendy
    What lovely pretty colours and pictures, I Like your extra long sheep. Looking forward to your post about making charcoal as I would like to try making some myself.
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah. I'm glad I visited the forest when I did, I hope we get a full autumn display this year but I'm not sure if we will - it's still so mild and grey.
      We've always wanted to have a go at charcoal burning but I've no idea how much we'll do at this stage.

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  25. The tranquil magic of Epping forest popped right out of the screen at me with such a beautiful feeling attached to it ! Simply beautiful.

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    1. Thanks Willow. I love the peace I find in ancient forests and woodlands. The old trees have such a calming effect.

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  26. I too love the green man. And I have always been fascinated by charcoal making, such a slow, organic process. Wouldn't mind having a go!

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. When I visit an old church, I always look around for a green man carving. I love the way the stone masons included him among all the religious carvings.
      There is something unhurried about charcoal burning, isn't there? So different to most tasks undertaken today.

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  27. Loved the carving and the church was amazing, really enjoyed the photos.

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    1. Thanks Charlie. The church is incredible, a real glimpse of an earlier age. The timber in the walls - when it stood as trees - would have sheltered the Romans.

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