Savernake Forest

Description

(D/A) Postern Hill Car Park. Walk along the tarmac track from the car park to find Bumble Oak, with a Forestry England map of the forest opposite. Facing the map, take a track setting off from the left of it. Follow the broad track. Reaching a crossroads turn left.

(1) Almost immediately see White Road Oak. Continue to another crossroads and turn right. The track goes down and up, passing straight on over a junction. As it curves left, look out for and take a small path to the right on Long Harry path. This brings you to Saddle Oak 2.

(2) Where Long Harry path split, turn right down a narrower path. At the fork at the bottom, bear right and come into the open and take the path straight on. Enter woods and turn left at T junction. Almost immediately, go straight on up a narrow path. Very soon, turn right at T junction by a barbed wire fence. soon turn left at a fork and keep near the fence on left.

(3) As the fence turns left, look to the right to see True Braydon Oak. Continue downhill on the path and reach a gate with a field straight ahead. Head towards this and take 2nd left turn near the fence.

(4) This leads to the Arboretum area with many international trees. Do explore but return to a central path through and come out onto Grand Avenue. Turn left. At hill bottom, turn right onto a grassy path. Go through a gate and immediately turn left. Keep straight on.

(5) After a fallen tree on left, look left to see Surveyed Oak, 2 minutes walk from the path. Continue on the path and when you hear traffic on the nearby A4 very close, look out on the left for a narrow path. This path goes uphill and up and down over little earthworks. Soon reach Grand Avenue again. Go straight over onto a path dropping downhill. At crossroads at the bottom, turn right onto a broad grassy path. Go straight over first crossroads and right at the next.

(6) Very soon see Old Paunchy on the left. Continue uphill to a gate onto a broad unsurfaced track. Turn left then almost immediately right onto a narrow path.

(7) Lookout on the right for Cathedral Oak. No name sign, but you cannot miss it as it has a huge trunk and is the oldest tree here. C.1500 years. Continue until you reach a grassy area. Take a few paces forward and turn left to soon join a broad track. Turn right Follow the track curving to the left to bring you back to Bumble Oak and the car park.(D/A)