Strid Wood has the largest remnant of Sessile Oaks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Ok then…cards on the table. It’s confession time.

You come across a decomposed tree while you’re out on a woodland walk. Stood up or flat on the ground, it makes no difference. What’s your first thought?

Would you even notice? After all, a walk in the great outdoors at Bolton Abbey could make you feel so relaxed, you don’t even notice what’s around you. You literally can’t see the wood for the trees!

But if it does catch your eye looking all limp and lifeless, maybe you’re thinking why has that just been left to crumble and rot?

Surely it would make more sense just getting rid of it. What purpose does it serve? It just makes the place look untidy.

Well…if you’ve ever felt that way, who’d blame you? And you wouldn’t be alone thinking that way, either.

The very word deadwood says it all. Or does it? Because life can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

Laund Oak now more than 600 years old still continues to leaf despite being blown down in a storm

Another one bites the (saw) dust

Packed with nutrients, or micro-organisms and invertebrates to be exact, these lifeless lumps of wood in the shape of stumps and trunks, are actually perfect for fungi to thrive and provide food for many kinds of species.

But they are so much more than a larder for those animals that live off the land. Crevices and cavities often found in deadwood offer the perfect habitat for barbastelle bats, woodpeckers, marsh tits, nuthatches and squirrels.

Even rivers benefit, as accumulating debris can provide sanctuary and protection for small fish, a natural flood defence and also improve water quality by filtering pollutants.

So who’d have thought that something dead would play such a significant part in the health of our woodlands? But it’s fair to say at Bolton Abbey the pleasure we derive from trees very much comes from the ones that are still alive.

Despite the snow, this tree is already showing signs that it will soon spring back into life

Where would I be without you?

The emotional and physical benefits of spending time around trees is well documented. They really enhance our experience of being outdoors, reducing stress, increasing our mood and giving us the clean air we breathe.

Put simply, without them, we’d be nothing.

We can learn so much from them too. Even in the depths of winter, when we see trees stripped bare of all their leaves, they are conserving their energy preparing for a time of renewal – to start again, the way we might need time to feel more like ourselves again with a holiday or perhaps even go on a journey of self-discovery and take stock.

Their incredible ability to show resilience when they’re buffeted by severe gales also inspires us to realise that we can overcome our own storms, as long as we stay grounded, strong and rooted.

Looking down on the Strid from one of our viewing spots

Yes, our trees are extra special

While all trees deserve our utmost respect, the ones we have in one particular part of the Bolton Abbey Estate offer something a little extra special. That’s because Strid Wood is known to have the largest remnant of Sessile Oaks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Just one of two native oak species, these Sessile Oaks – named as they are because their acorns are clustered together in stalkless cups – can produce up to 90,000 acorns each in an exceptional year.

However, despite that phenomenal number, only a few have a fighting chance of becoming mature trees.
Of those that do, they can grow up to 40 metres tall and live for hundreds of years. We know from our records, some of them are at least 200 years old.

Bough your head

Along with our other native and more well-known oak species, the English Oak, they support the greatest biodiversity of woodlands in the UK.

Astonishingly, according to the Woodland Trust, around 2,300 species are often associated with oaks, with more than 300 of them believed to rely solely on them.

Perhaps it’s no surprise then that the oak has been revered for hundreds and hundreds of years, going back to the time when ancient kings and Roman Emperors wore crowns made from oak leaves. Even today, the oak is seen as a symbol of strength in England.

But it isn’t the only example of strength here. To see that, you’d have to head for a stretch of river called the Strid.

Here the River Wharfe is squeezed through a tight opening in the rocks, forcing an unimaginable volume of water to gush its way downstream.

Understandably, it’s one force of nature that draws many visitors here all year round for its beauty and awesome power. And the good news is… it’s so easy to get to whatever your mobility because the trail leading to the Strid is relatively flat and close to the river.

The acorns of a sessile oak tree, clustered together in stalkless cups

More paths than you can shake a stick at

In total you’ve got 6.5 miles of footpaths to explore in an area covering both sides of the river. While some of these footpaths might be steeper and narrower, they’re still well maintained and you’ll have the advantage of stopping at one of our 18 viewing spots looking down on the valley bottom. The famous one is arguably Pembroke Seat which inspired the master of romanticism himself William Turner to produce one of his watercolour paintings.

As a site of special scientific interest, Strid Wood is also home to many species of plants that are very rare or only found locally.

Not that you have to be an expert or anything like that to appreciate them but these plants are known as Brytophyte flora and are usually made up of mosses, lichens, liverworts and hornworts.

Now it’s our turn to confess

It’s no secret we deeply care about the estate. But we’d like to think it’s no secret that we really want you to be part of that, so that it leaves you (no pun intended) feeling better for the experience.

So, if you’re one of those looking to turn over a new leaf and find some solace and inspiration down at Strid Wood, spend a little time with our trees. Dead or alive, they’ll still be around when you come back.

Book before the day of your visit on our website boltonabbey.com to get your early bird discount.

One with nature. For what they give us, is it any wonder we love spending time with trees?