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26th April 2018

Gathering Nuts in May?

May is my favourite month to get outside and enjoy the awakening of the woodland in our wonderful Northamptonshire countryside, and to appreciate a little mediaeval history at the same time. But will I find nuts in May?

The geology and geography of our county provide great conditions for excellent hunting, a fact which did not escape the attention of William the Conqueror. He rapidly took control of the best hunting grounds in Northamptonshire, declaring them ‘Royal Forests’. Interestingly perhaps only a quarter of this land was woodland, but the rest supported game. There were three main reasons to do this. Firstly to protect the game animals such as boar, deer, wolf and fox, and the ‘warren’ creatures, such as coney, hare, partridge, and pheasant. Secondly to protect the environment in which they lived, and thirdly to provide the King with a source of income. No one was allowed to take game, or to fell a tree, without permission and usually a payment. Failure to comply with the law often resulted in brutal punishment. This was extremely unpopular, and ‘Forest Law’ was the subject of bitter complaints for centuries until it was finally released in the 19th century.

Northamptonshire had three great Royal Forests, Rockingham, Salcey and Whittlewood. They were beloved by many monarchs, including John, Henry III, Edward I and Edward III, who stayed in hunting lodges leaving clues in their place names, such as Kingsthorpe, Kingscliffe, and Grafton Regis, the latter named by Henry VIII. He loved his hunting nearly as much as his ladies!

Remarkably, a side benefit of William the Conqueror’s policies has been the conservation of ‘ancient woodland’, that is woodland which has existed since 1600. This precious and declining environment provides a habitat for some of our rarest flora and fauna. We have some of this precious landscape in our county, and it needs our protection. If we lose what little ancient woodland we have left, it will be gone forever so we need to ensure no more is lost.

Many of these wonderful places are available for us to explore today, offering us the chance to get closer to nature, and experience beauty and tranquility. There are proven health benefits of ‘forest bathing’ as the Japanese call it. You can lower your heart rate, blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, boost the immune system, and improve overall feelings of wellbeing at the same time. Wonderful places to explore in our county include my favourite Everdon Stubbs, Whittlewood Forest, and Fermyn Country Park. Don’t forget that Pocket Parks were invented in Northamptonshire and offer little havens of beauty. Find somewhere close to you on the websites below.

So will I find nuts in May? Not nuts, but knots of May blossom on the flowering hawthorn trees, and wild garlic with its delicious and slightly disconcerting fragrance, and my favourite bluebells. Acres and acres of bluebells filling the air with their delicate perfume, and filling our eyes with their celestial blue.
Enjoy!

For more information, visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk and www.northamptonshireparks.co.uk


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