There is something quite magical about an English forest in the late autumn sunshine. The sun is low in the sky and pockets of light highlight the browning ferns and give extra texture to the tree trunks. Malaysian forests are also magical but with a completely different colour palette. Who would think there were so many varieties of green? And I associate walking through Malaysian forests with a full-body sweat and exhaustion from the humid heat. This is why hiking in Malaysia requires you to be out before sunrise to avoid the full intensity of the burning sun at 8 am. Hartswood forest is a large semi-natural ancient woodland managed by Brentwood Borough Council. In the 17th century this ancient woodland was owned by the diarist John Evelyn. It is filled with huge oak trees, sweet chestnut trees, delicate beech trees, and a ground cover of ferns.
When walking through a forest, remember to look down as well as up. At this time of the year, you will find people foraging for mushrooms and sweet chestnuts.
