1. The trail leads off through coppiced birch and scattered evergreen conifers. These are a mixture of scots pines with reddish bark and needles which radiate from around the stem and douglas firs with paler green needles, soft to the touch and growing from opposite sides of the stem.
2. On the right, across the Main Ride, is an area of beech trees - the only ones you will see on the trails. The dense shade they cast restricts the growth of ground flora, and few plants are able to thrive. Spring bluebells are one of the few exceptions since they flower before the beech foliage has been fully developed. This trail is a favourite habitat for butterflies: speckled wood, small heath, gate keeper, comma, clouded yellow, white admiral, red admiral and the small and green veined whites may be seen, along with other species. Dragonflies are also numerous.
3. Compare the ground flora in the area of beeches to that to the left of the path in the oak plantation. These trees are about 100 years old. Because they do not cast a dense shade, the ground plants are more prolific, bracken and bramble being a dominant. Plenty of daylight penetrates this stretch and you should spot various flowering plants. In the autumn, many different fungi are found.

   This is a short twenty minute trail and is suitable for small children.

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