Healthy walks in Hainault Forest
A trial programme of healthy walks for elderly people and those recovering from illness, was successfully completed in Hainault Forest during September and October 2007.
Besides being an opportunity for outdoor exercise, the activity gave those taking part a chance to learn about the history and ecology of the forest, as well as make new friends.
Burning off the calories
In all six walks were completed, lasting about 75 minutes per session. Each followed a different route through the forest and covered a distance of up to two miles, giving walkers an opportunity to burn off an estimated 100-200 calories.
Environmental consultant, Janet Watt, acted as a guide, drawing participants’ attention to key aspects of the site and its history. These included the fact that:
- Hainault was once a Royal Forest providing venison for the king’s palaces
- in those days poachers could be dismembered on the orders of the Forest Court
- in the 19th century a herbalist called Dido lived by the pond, producing alternative medicines from trees and plants
- more than 15 different kinds of tree grow at Hainault including 6,000 hornbeams and rarities such as the wild service tree and the native small-leaved lime
- the forest is home to an abundance of wildlife, for example: dormice, deer, foxes, badgers and squirrels as well as owls, woodpeckers, nuthatches and buzzards.
Joining the walk
The Autumn series of weekly Healthy Walks is organised by the Woodland Trust and can cater for up to 40 people per session. No booking is required, just turn up on the day at the appropriate meeting venue (see notices on the display boards for details or email for a full programme of activities).
Children are welcome however if they are under 16 years of age they must be accompanied by an adult. Dogs are also welcome but must be reasonably well behaved and supervised at all times by an adult.
People are welcome to join any or all the walks and all are free of charge. Each walk will have a specific theme such as local wildlife, biodiversity, history or woodland management.
The various routes taken for different walks will cover the whole of Hainault Forest and part of the open areas of the Country Park. All walks are relatively flat although they are frequently muddy (please wear suitable footwear, waterproof jackets and bring any refreshments you may require).
Help required
One of the great benefits of the scheme is that although a lot of people really enjoy walking in the woods they don’t like walking on their own. We intend to continue running the scheme for as long as possible (as long as our funding lasts) but to maintain and hopefully expand the programme we need a number of volunteers who can initially shadow the existing walk leaders with the longer term aim of leading walks themselves or jointly leading a guided walk.
If you would like to volunteer in this capacity, please email the Woodland Trust.
