We’ve been fans of the Alice Holt Forest in Hampshire since we moved from London to Guildford. I seem to remember my first visit was in 2011 when I was on maternity leave and we’ve gone ever since. Managed by the Forestry Commission, these woods are located just a few miles south of Farnham in Surrey. They provide the perfect stomping ground for POD what with the adventure trails and natural play areas which have always suited our little climber. There was something a little bit special about our last visit though in that the light was just superb.
The frost from earlier in the day hadn’t really shifted which meant it was crisp with that beautiful damp pine smell in the air. The forest seemed especially quiet, so much so you could even hear the ice melting and occasional drops falling from the trees. It was lunchtime but the sun was low, peeping through the trees and making the golden bracken below glisten. It was a bit like being in Narnia minus the snow. Well kind of.
While I’m not normally one for capturing POD with the light source ahead of me, the sun beams were so pretty it was hard not to. She was dawdling as she was preoccupied with the camera we got her for Christmas. We decided not get her a Hatchimal (not that we could have done, they’re out of stock everywhere), instead opting for a toy she’ll hopefully get a lot more enjoyment out of. The VTech KidiZoom means she can take photos and selfies herself as well as adding special effects to them. She’s going through the experimenting phase at the moment taking photographs of everything and of course making lots of silly faces!
You can’t help but smile when you’re in the Alice Holt Forest although the frost, mist and sunshine combination meant even more grinning than usual. As always POD had pulled together a list of ‘treasure’ she wanted to find in the forest and we ended our walk with a pitstop and visit to the play wood before heading home. Nothing like blowing away the cobwebs and getting some fresh country air in the lungs.
So gorgeous with all the flares. I love how you’ve captured them all both in colour and black and white!