Wood of the Witches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A magical place

Although it is becoming one of the well-trodden paths amongst photo locations, it still is a magical place: Wistman's Wood NNR in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. During my short trip to this beautiful part of England, at the beginning of June, a visit to this special forest was on my list. 

https://simoneo.com

 

 Capturing the wood

The time chosen for a visit turned out to be the only cloudy morning of the entire journey. That not only improved the atmosphere, it also meant that there was no need to walk over the bare hills in the 'bloody heat' or the 'pouring rain'. Some rain would have been appreciated, but you can't have it all. I will revisit some time in the Fall.😊

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the wood

Wistman's Wood is a forest full of stunted and twisted oaks covered with blilberries, moss and ferns. Only a few 'other brands' such as mountain ash and holly grow among the oaks. The wood is a remnant of a once widespread woodland covering the hills of Dartmoor.It is also one of only three remaining native upland oak woodlands on Dartmoor. The other two high-altitude oakwoods of Dartmoor are Black Tor Copse in the north, and Piles Copse in the south. 

 

 Although one would assume that the special shape of the trees is due to weather conditions or so, the reason for the compact growth is actually quite a different one. The oak trees of Wistman’s Wood were used to make charcoal for tin smelting. To this end, branches were removed here and there, the gaps of which were filled uo by new shoots, growing in an erratic manner. As a result, the trees took on erratic, uneven shapes, although the forest looks very neat from a distance. The mining industry on Dartmoor dated from pre-Roman times and lasted until the 1930-ies.Some oak trees in Wistman's Wood are said to be 400-500 years old. Wistman’s Wood was selected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1964. It is also an NCR site and forms part of the Wistman's Wood National Nature Reserve. 

 Legend

Due to the low oak trees and twisted branches, Wistman’s Wood has a somewhat creepy atmosphere. The name Wistman's Wood may have derived from the dialect word "wisht", meaning creepy or bewitched. Wistman's Wood is also associated with the legendary Wild Hunt in Devon, known for the hellhounds, Yeth (Heath) or Wisht Hounds in the Devonshire dialect.