It’s going to be tricky writing a travel blog when travel in or out of the country is banned right now. A chance to talk about what’s close at hand? You bet! This is my opportunity to show that I can still be a great travel blogger without going very far.
In today’s blog, I’m discovering one of the most ancient tracts of woodland in the UK, the Burnham Beeches. It’s approximately 5 miles from home, and I’ve brought my trusty fellow adventurers, Henry and Lizzie, with me to check it out.
The Burnham Beeches are a remnant of a vast forest that once covered almost the whole of Buckinghamshire. The woods are situated just north of the village of Burnham, which got a mention in the Domesday Book in 1086, and the average age of the trees is well over 400 years old. Wow, they would have seen out a few pandemics then.
Some of the trees at Burnham are unusual because of the pollarding done to stop them from getting too tall, encouraging fresh growth closer to the ground. It helps the trees to live longer. Pollard is my Mum’s maiden name, so presumably we had some expertise in this practice at some point in time. Not any more, I can assure you.
The Burnham Beeches may look vaguely familiar to you if you’re a film lover. Pinewood Studios are just down the road, and this area has been used in many blockbusters over the years.
Kevin Costner strode through these woods (not the real Sherwood Forest) in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. The brilliant Princess Bride was filmed here, as were some of the scenes from various Harry Potter films.
Filming is limited, as it’s so popular. I’m glad to hear that there are some things that can’t be computer generated. Does that mean I’m old?
This area has always been famous, or perhaps infamous. Back in the day it was a hang-out for dangerous criminals. On the route between London, Oxford and Bath, there were rich pickings for highwaymen. You entered these woods at your peril. Now though, the only people you’ll meet are dog walkers. It’s not nearly so perilous.
Nowadays, it’s simply a very peaceful and lovely place to take a long walk. In normal circumstances, there’s a cafe near the car park, and several nearby pubs if you need to take a break and have some liquid refreshment. At the moment, you’ll have to take a flask.
For those of us who are missing foreign travel, some creative place names can help you to pretend you’re somewhere more exotic than Slough. In the Burnham Beeches, you can cross the River Nile into Egypt Woods. Quite how the names came about is lost in the mists of time, but I like it!
Steph's Travels 
Great post 😁
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