Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • United Kingdom
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. United Kingdom
  3. 2022
  4. December 02
  5. Gnarled ancient oak trees in Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor National Park, Devon
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Gnarled ancient oak trees in Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor National Park, Devon

December 02, 2022

Gnarled ancient oak trees in Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor National Park, Devon

© Richard Garvey-Williams/Alam

Tree-mendous. National Tree Week

To celebrate National Tree Week, we’re on Dartmoor in Devon, where the twisted oak branches of Wistman’s Wood harbour some of the rarest plant life found in the UK. This ancient site is one of Britain’s highest oakwoods and is an example of a temperate rainforest, a rare habitat found along the UK’s Atlantic coastline. The mild and damp conditions here in this bit of south-west England make it ideal for a number of scarce lichen, mosses and fungi. The wood is home to Horsehair lichen (Bryoria smithii) found at only two sites in Britain.

Here on the slopes of the West Dart Valley, Wistman’s Wood sits at an altitude of between 1,247ft (380m) and 1,427ft (435m) above sea level and the floor is littered with exposed granite boulders. The most common type of trees, as seen in our homepage image, are moss and lichen-covered dwarf oaks, which twist between rocks and along the forest floor in places. It is thought that Wistman’s Wood is the ancestor of an ancient forest that covered much of Dartmoor around 7000 BCE. The oldest oaks here are thought to be between 400 and 500 years old.

Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, the wood is managed by Natural England and is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a national nature reserve. Given its rather eerie appearance, it is no surprise that there are various ghost stories linked to it, including the hellhounds of a legendary Wild Hunt, known in the local Devonshire dialect as Yeth or Wisht Hounds. At the very least, it has a healthy population of venomous adders, so tread carefully.

tree plant grass outdoor landscape nature garden

Related Images

Common chameleonCommon chameleon
Plumeria flowers, Hawaii, United StatesPlumeria flowers, Hawaii, United States
Formal Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, FranceFormal Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
Zion National Park, Utah, United StatesZion National Park, Utah, United States
Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United StatesKachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC, United StatesNational Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC, United States
Tree frog, Costa RicaTree frog, Costa Rica
Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United StatesSuperbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States

Today on Bing

Female moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

Female moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

Dec 02, 2024
North Gate of Angkor Thom, Angkor Archaeological Park, Cambodia

North Gate of Angkor Thom, Angkor Archaeological Park, Cambodia

Dec 02, 2023
Dall sheep rams at Polychrome Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

Dall sheep rams at Polychrome Pass, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

Dec 02, 2021
Cove of Spires in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, USA

Cove of Spires in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, USA

Dec 02, 2020
Dawn sunlight and waves at Portland Bill lighthouse, Dorset

Dawn sunlight and waves at Portland Bill lighthouse, Dorset

Dec 02, 2019

Related Tags

plant outdoor flower grass mountain nature sky landscape tree valley canyon cloud rock hill escarpment hillside badlands overlooking distance animal
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.