Killing Time at Frithsden Beeches

I had some time to kill after morning taxi duties and waiting for the shops to open to get cat litter. As the conditions were dull with no light or atmosphere, I decided to head off to Fristhden Beeches on a hunt for more intimate images.

I parked up on a small car park on the left of the road that leads from Berkhamsted to Ashridge College. There is a choice of three parking spots along this road. I walked up the slope veering off the tarmac road into the woods. I was soon distracted by a bendy beech tree that just had to be photographed. Carrying on upwards the path levelled off with the common on my right and woods to my left.

Soon I came to the entrance of Frithsden Woods with notices warning of tree management practices and to keep to the waymarked paths. I headed down hill until reaching the bottom and being faced by a crossroads. Turning right I headed up the shallow slope until I reached another path heading to the right toward the common, but I turned left into the woods.

There were many old beech trees on both sides of the path which curved around southwards until merging with a larger path that eventually turned northwards.

It is at this point there is a group of large old Beech trees that stand like ents, commanding the area with their huge trunks and branches and thick dark canopy, and surrounded by evidence of battles with tree surgeons all around.

The path continues northwards to the crossroads and I followed the path down the shallow slope for a distance down to the road and then turned back up the slope and carried on up to the top edge of the common turning northwest and walking along a bridleway through birch and oak trees. Crossing the top edge of the common and back into the wood, I continued northwest but got sidetracked by a small birch leaf dangling in mid air. However, no matter how I tried it would not keep still long enough to capture a decent image.

I did manage to get one interesting image that was quite abstract with sharp bokeh and contrasting wispy leaf that was exactly the sort of intimate shot I was looking for. I turned back towards the common and then entered the silver birch wood and started making my way back to the car, taking a wide curving route through the woods. The path was a bit narrow and overgrown with ferns and nettles but the silver birch trees and the occasional oak were stunning. I'll have to return here when there is a bit of mist to add a little atmosphere. Although the path was a little difficult to navigate it was more than made up for by the trees as their foliage started to yellow with autumnal colours, looking like they had been sprinkled with golden fairy dust.

Continuing my journey, I came across a small clearing to the left of which there was a fallen birch tree covered in groups of porcelain mushrooms.

I spent a good half an hour here trying to get a few good images, but must admit I was overwhelmed a bit and struggled to make my mind up. However, I did finally settle on a couple of images that I was happy with.

A stunning find right at the end of my walk and a fitting end to my scouting trip.