Short Wood and Southwick Wood

Lovely enclosed woodland. Perfect for dog walking.

Nice and tranquil

What a place to see the sunrise.

#wildlifebcn.org
№ 15. SHORT WOOD & SOUTHWICK WOOD.

This isn’t the first time we’ve been to a double-barrelled wood during our epic quest. So, of course there are certain rules with which we’ve become familiar. These ‘double woods’ are usually separated by the road you drove down and couldn’t find a parking space along. You arrive, continue to drive through while congratulating each other that you’ve found the place, and then exit having been unsuccessful at finding a suitable place to abandon the car. You turn around and try again eventually leaving the car at a location you completely dismissed as private property/dangerous/the middle of the road just moments earlier.

Actually, here the parking was good, little lay-bys.

The next rule to follow when questing in a ‘double woods’ is to select which side to walk first: This Side or That Side? The selection is usually made by the dominant leader, matriarch, or doughnut whose idea it was to go to the woods. Well, me being a dashing, masculine force suggested That Side… and then swiftly agreed with H.E. that This Side was truly the correct choice.

We found the Wildlife Trust Propaganda Board (Pictured). Southwick Woods. Ah, so we’ve done this arse-ways, how professional, Short Wood was the other Side. The Board says this was part of Rockingham Forest, and was a Royal Hunting Ground. Instantly I’m visualising that this is woods filled with bards, wandering minstrels, archers and a Royal Hunting Party. Not creepy tweed-sporting modern Royals in Land Rovers, but you know, an actual medieval one so… a Frenchman with his boot on the necks of us peasants. That kind.

The Board also said the wildlife had been here since 1600 so think unicorns and if you’re lucky, a griffin. Deer too, so that was HE excited. But this is walk № 15 and those starry-eyed days of walks one and two are long gone, I wasn’t expecting to see any wildlife. But taking HE to a wood and seeing some tiny fawn might redeem me for all the other rubbish walks I’ve dragged her on…

We soon encountered locals. Country ones. The well-to do dog-walkers with wellies that look actually waterproof, nursing steaming flasks. We raised our voices several octaves to engage with them correctly, chortled as is the custom, and continued.
We waded through the mud, commented on the bluebells, the only type of flower we ever see, we scaled a makeshift tree ladder in the woods, no doubt the look-out post for a band of nefarious highwaymen, also pictured.

We did see the deer stalking through the woods. Aha! Finally, this brush with nature is the type of romantic situation that causes bras to inexplicably ping off into the undergrowth... Nope. H.E. gripped my arm and in a hushed whisper announced: “I don’t like them.” Thanks, Bambi. I’ve yet to be mauled to death by a deer. I reassured H.E. that deer won’t hurt her; but the blueberry muffin she’d just munched (Pictured) could be considered foraging in a Royal Hunting Ground. Legally speaking, it could result in summary execution. No bras pinged.

Short Wood next. It wasn’t short. Gathering rain clouds, fading light, ominous woods ahead and murderous deer behind us aside, it seemed fine. We decided on a perimeter walk, not realising just how deceptively huge and scary this wood was. Fortunately, the gloom was broken by the piercing scream of a woman. She appeared through the drizzle and mercifully she was another flask-wielding dog walker. She merrily informed us that her dog had tried to capture a hare, causing her scream, before she skipped off again into the bush like Tom Bombadil. Can Dogs be executed for hunting?

We then walked for what seemed like hours of drizzle. The entire place has named pathways like spokes that run through the woods, Pictured, but we stubbornly stuck to the perimeter. Best. Double Wood. Ever.

Summary:
Loved every minute. No Medieval fayre. Screeching woman. Short my arse.

JB & HE 15/5/21
#NatureWalkExperts

great place for walk and nature