Tourist Profile
Te site has the largest and most complete collection of conifers in the world… all set in a grade II listed landscape.
But if cedars, firs, cypresses, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces and yews aren’t your cup of tea, traditional oaks, birch and chestnuts also flourish here. For something more ancient, there’s the Wollemi pine, a species discovered in Australia’s Blue Mountains in 1994, and a genuine throwback to the days of the dinosaurs. Or the Franklinia alatamaha… thought extinct, it was last seen growing in the wild in 1803.
If you dream of exotic climes in the cold and damp of a British winter, you could do worse than take a butcher’s at Bedgebury’s
eucalyptus from Australia, spiky monkey puzzle trees from Chile, or sweet gums from the Far East. And the pinetum’s avenue of coast redwood gives visitors a feel for life beneath one of the tallest tree species on earth.
Of course, walkers aren’t the only souls out on winter days. Readers with sharp eyes may spot an elusive feathered friend - a firecrest, crossbill or hawfinch in the forest canopy, or regular favourites the long tailed tit, gold crest and blue tit foraging for food.
Bedgebury, off Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst,
is open 8am every day except Christmas Day. It closes at 6pm (October 1 to 24), 5pm (October 25 to November 21) and 3.30pm (November 22 to December 30)
More to enjoy
• Tree cycling trails • Four orienteering trails • Running trails • Go Ape • Horse riding • Play areas • Bike hire • Café • Wheelchair hire • Dogs welcome
More information…
www.forestryengland.uk/bedgebury
Happy trails…
Bedgebury’s owners at Forestry England have devised a series of trails, ranging in length and difficulty, to showcase the pinetum’s greatest atractions while puting people of all ages and abilities through their paces… • Te Forest Walking Trail has a moderate grade and two lengths of 3.5 miles and 5.5 miles. It’s an ideal all-rounder for adults visiting Bedgebury for the first time.
• Te Hidden Secrets Trail takes hikers off the beaten track, providing access to parts of the site not reached by the conventional visitors’ routes. It’s moderate in difficulty and covers 3.25 miles.
• The Pinetum Trail is spot-on for a family trek. This easy-grade path covers two miles and is suitable for all ages and abilities. It follows a waymarked route, so you won’t get lost, and takes walkers through woodland rich in wildlife.
• The final set of trails are a seasonal
offering, guiding hikers through the pinetum’s most stunning vistas according to the time of year they visit. You can collect walking guides for each of the trails form Bedgebury’s information office.
A walk in the dark…
Night-time might arrive uncomfortably early through the winter months, but the pinetum team is making a virtue of darkness. Its Christmas at Bedgebury event relies on the sun being gone by 4pm, so that staff can throw the switch on a magical festive light and musical extravaganza. For the second year running, the woods will host a one-mile hike through trees blasted with mystical light shows, special effects and seasonal colour.
Special installations will send beams twisting through the canopy and up towards the stars.
A Vortex Tunnel of changing colours and immersive ribbons of light will throw reflections across the pinetum’s lake, where hundreds of boats will be moored, say organisers. There’s a scented Fire Garden and a towering Tunnel of Light, decked with thousands of pea-lights.
At the end of the trail, walkers will be confronted by the Water Fountain Finale, with “jumping jets of light” dancing in time to Christmas classics. A spokesman said: “To complete the walk under the stars, there’s spiced cider, mulled wine or hot chocolate… and a fire-pit to toast marshmallows.
“Litle ones can enjoy traditional Victorian fairground rides, and might even glimpse Father Christmas and his elf amongst the pines, spruce and firs along the way.” The ticket-only after dark trail runs on selected dates between November 22 and December 30. For details and to book a time slot, visit
www.christmasatbedgebury.co.uk
Mid Kent Living 29
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