Twigmoor Woods

Twigmoor Woods – Woodland walks -DN20 9NF

A friend jokingly sometimes says, “It’s grim up north 😊”. Well, the sun shone, although clouds were far distant and it seemed like a good idea to explore a bit. My walks have been relatively local, but this time, a little research for woods and lo and behold, Twigmoor woods, a 20 minute drive seemed to deliver. Nearing the destination, the road turned to woodland, whose trees, formerly pedestrian like, on the side, became an arched canopy, under which the road wove its way…..fab ! Twigmoor Woods is relatively near to me and I realised that I need to get out more 😊. There is something both calming and invigorating about nature’s beauty. 

Funny how, in spite of logic, you believe the sat-nav, as we passed a small car park, amongst the woodland…..the sat-nav said, another 1/2 mile and shortly, having apparently, “arrived at our destination“, but on the outskirts of a village and adjacent to a vacant carpet shop, we did an about turn, to where logic had earlier suggested the car parks location 😊.

Twigmoor woods walk was apparently due to be about an hour of woodland and some lakes, but that did not account for the pratting about, which unexpectedly followed….well old, but still kicking, eh 😊.

Early autumn is a time that I love and the Woodside path was full of rhododendron bushes or that sort of thing, I’m not a gardener and I would imagine that it is a stunningly colourful time. Twigmoor woods pathway was old woodland, rather than mechanically cleared and the edges really well maintained, to keep the pathway clear. Just lovely, taking me back to my childhood, when woods were just woods, but if other woods, stay woods, mechanically, to manage and fund their continuation to the public, that’s a good thing, but Twigmoor woods was woods 👍. Brill 😊.

I remember, probably aged 6 ish, going to the nearby woods with mates and there was a natural sandpit, ground of sand and what seemed a huge cliff face similarly, with its walls dotted with holes, pecked out, or however excavated by swift’s, house martins etc., (not sure, but a variety of breeds), to make their homes for nesting. For reasons unknown, occasionally and seemingly without prompting, they would emerge on mass, filling the air with a cacophony of sound and like a black bin bag, in a wind, moving together, drift off in to the sky. That natural wood changed, as did the sandpit, some years later, by which time we had moved home. Different times and change is natural. Haha, I remember then and at that age, although in one of the largest housing estates in Europe, that everyone knew each other, it was the time of bicycles and before car ownership was the norm. So odd people/people whom children  should be cautious, were known. I think his name was Percy and it was said that he would “flash”. I never had that education, but he occasionally used to visit the woods and we would steer clear. Much more interesting things to do as kids anyway. There seemed to be a safety then, when cars with strangers could not flit in and out and remain strangers to the community. Were childhoods longer then or just different now, no idea ?

Anyway, Twigmoor woods woodland walk was just fab and took over an hour 😊.

Twigmoor Woods