{"id":2420,"date":"2020-03-03T18:59:16","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T18:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2020-03-03T18:59:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-03T18:59:25","slug":"savernake-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/savernake-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Savernake Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_20556\"  width=\"800\" height=\"450\"  data-origwidth=\"800\" data-origheight=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V-_RvWjxMHo?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I just posted about Giles Wood, a new forest on the Kennet &amp; Avon Canal. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Savernake Forest (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forestryengland.uk\/savernake-forest\" target=\"_blank\">Savernake Forest<\/a>, however, is definitely not new. There is mention of the forest before the Norman Conquest, and several of the trees are considered ancient, meaning they\u2019re a thousand years old. The present-day forest is actually a remnant of the primeval forests that covered England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"960\" data-attachment-id=\"2421\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/savernake-forest\/1280px-ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?fit=1280%2C960\" data-orig-size=\"1280,960\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?fit=300%2C225\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?fit=800%2C600\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1280px-Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.jpg?resize=1024%2C768 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>A pollard beech tree in Savernake Forest. The tops of the tree have been successively cut to encourage new growth. <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ancient-pollarded-beech-savernake-2005-04-26.JPG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Credit (opens in a new tab)\">Credit<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What remains is 4,500 acres\/7 sq mi\/18 sq km and you will find it to the north of the canal east of Pewsey and west of Hungerford. It\u2019s open year round and free to visit with many walking trails, picnic areas, parking and public toilets (open from Easter to October). You can also camp in the forest at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Postern Hill Campsite (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.campingintheforest.co.uk\/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_content=postern_hill&amp;utm_campaign=google_places\" target=\"_blank\">Postern Hill Campsite<\/a>. There are toilets and running water, but no showers or electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d24628.877168063504!2d-1.6878740583717402!3d51.39516624246417!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x48715720233b44f5%3A0xe75d53849db5736!2sSavernake%2C%20Marlborough%20SN8%203HP%2C%20UK!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1583259516774!5m2!1sen!2sus\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>Not surprisingly given its long history, the forest is a bit of a hodgepodge, thanks to it having been a royal park, regularly harvested by the crown for oak and the efforts of famed landscape gardener Lancelot \u201cCapability\u201d Brown. There\u2019s a Grand Avenue created by Brown that transects the forest from northwest to southeast and eight roads or paths intersect in the heart of the forest. There are even Roman roads through the forest but I don\u2019t think they are recognizable as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The forest was managed by a series of ancestral wardens that included the Seymour family. It is said (make of it what you will) that Jane Seymour caught the eye of Henry VIII in the forest. Grand Avenue actually ends at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Tottenham House (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.wshc.eu\/blog\/item\/the-forest-of-wolfhall.html\" target=\"_blank\">Tottenham House<\/a>, the house that replaced Wolf Hall, the Seymour home that gave its name to Hilary Mantel\u2019s novel about Thomas Cromwell, the ill-fated adviser to Henry VIII. I\u2019m not sure if there\u2019s still access to Tottenham House, which was recently purchased to become a private home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>In nearby Great Bedwyn, which would have been in the Savernake Forest, you can find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitpewseyvale.co.uk\/business-directory-2\/st-marys-church-great-bedwyn-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"St. Mary\u2019s Church (opens in a new tab)\">St. Mary\u2019s Church<\/a> and the tomb of Sir John Seymour, Jane Seymour\u2019s father.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Miraculously <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"some ancient oaks (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/walk-savernake-forest-wiltshire\/\" target=\"_blank\">some ancient oaks<\/a> have survived to this day in the forest and can be seen, although most require detective work to find. Google Maps has a few of these oaks marked, including <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Cathedral Oak (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/bsKUp3uXXygVF53d6\" target=\"_blank\">Cathedral Oak<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/3q8hVswPkvRw2tPC7\">Big Belly Oak<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/ZvRQMUr8kLFGh6nZ6\">King of Limbs<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I just posted about Giles Wood, a new forest on the Kennet &amp; Avon Canal. Savernake Forest, however, is definitely<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"The ancient oaks of Savernake Forest near the Kennet & Avon Canal","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p74kO9-D2","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2422,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions\/2422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}