Morgaston Wood is part of The Vyne estate, a National Trust property near Basingstoke, in Hampshire. It is open to the public and seems to get a lot of dog walkers. The wood itself seems to consist largely of sweet chestnut trees, a handsome, non-native relative of oak and beech. Many of the examples in Morgaston wood are coppices, like the one seen here, although it doesn’t seem as if the National Trust are harvesting the timber (or the abundant nuts, which are delicious).
12×16″, ink on kaolin-coated board
Alert! Sweet Chestnut is under threat from sweet chestnut blight and the oriental chestnut gall wasp. You can help the RHS monitor the situation by checking sweet chestnut trees in your area. Click here for details.
