Peace and quiet among the pine forests of Yorkshire (From Gazette & Herald)

Peace and quiet among the pine forests of Yorkshire

ONE of the delights of a fine, cool but dry winter weekend is to walk through a pine forest.

In many of them, there are wide tracks and fire paths which permit maintenance of the woodland but also offer public rights of way. These are bordered by surrounding trees, usually densely planted in regimented rows so they provide welcome shelter from the cutting winds which can slice across the exposed heights to chill one's fingers and numb one's ears.

In this region we are fortunate to have a large number and a great variety of such forests, many being planted and maintained by the Forestry Commission, while others, often of a smaller size, appear to have natural origins. In this case, they often share the ground with deciduous trees.

In all cases, however, there is a welcome peace within those coniferous forests - somehow, they seem to offer long periods of blissful silence and solitude, broken only by the sighing of the breeze among the trees and the pervading and pleasant pine-scented aroma.

It is a clean and clinical scent and it is perhaps this which adds to that all-embracing sense of peace which is so much part of the enjoyment of a pine forest.

From time to time, however, there are criticisms that a man-made forest of conifers tends to obliterate all other forms of natural life. In fact, the soil of our upland regions is often incapable of sustaining a variety of broad-leaved trees.

One only has to gaze across the open expanse of the North York Moors or the heights of the Pennine Dales to realise that naturally-grown trees are very scarce in the most exposed places.

Their numbers produce the occasional hawthorn, permanently bent by the prevailing winds. In hollows, they produce a clutch of mountain ashes, which have the uncanny ability to survive in places which would defeat others.

In those high, bleak and remote places, however, the conifers can flourish, even if they sometimes require a helping human hand - with knowledge of fertilisers, soil and ploughing techniques.

In my part of North Yorkshire, two such forests - the Hambleton Forest above Ampleforth and Allerston Forest above Pickering - were planted in the 1930s, each occupying high moorland ground.

In the early days of those man-made forests, few members of the public were allowed to venture into them but as the trees matured and grew taller, there was less risk of damage to them, and so the forests were opened to ramblers and even private cars.

Indeed, the forest drive through Allerton Forest has developed into one of the main attractions of the area, along with picnic sites and parking places which allow the woodland to be enjoyed by all.

So if forests of conifers are reputed to obliterate most forms of wildlife, what can one expect to see within their boundaries?

The answer is: a very large variety, ranging from plants to birds, animals to insects. But like all nature walks, one has to be alert to the possibility of sighting elusive creatures or finding unusual plants and, of course, one must appreciate the vagaries of the seasons and the shyness of many wild forest dwellers.

Although the population of wild creatures will vary from place to place and from forest to forest, many of these more dense woodlands will support deer, both fallow and roe, and in some cases, even red deer.

Foxes and badgers can be found too, along with rabbits, stoats, weasels and voles. From time to time, one hears reports of pine martens or polecats being observed, although one must always be aware that these might have been wild mink.

There is a wealth of bird life too. Pheasants, wood pigeons and tawny owls appear to enjoy living in pine forests while the colourful jay is also a forest-lover. Although it is shy and reclusive, its presence is often betrayed by its raucous warning cry.

The conifers are host to a range of smaller birds like goldcrests, siskins, goldfinches and even crossbills.

These dumpy finches have curious beaks, the tips of which are crossed to enable them to extract seeds from pine cones with a twisting operation. The female is a dull greenish colour, while her partner is a warm brick-like pink with dark wings.

Added to the likelihood of seeing birds and animals, there is also the chance of coming across an exotic or rare plant but for that kind of experience, and to recognise what is growing upon the forest floor, one needs a greater botanical knowledge than I possess.

What all this means, is that we should not consider that life stops at the edge of a pine forest. One has only to venture into those dark depths to appreciate that a whole new world awaits those with the desire to see what is living around them.

Updated: 17:16 Friday, February 23, 2001