Tower and Town, July 2020

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An Oaken Outing

Savernake Forest boasts many fine or ancient oaks and perhaps the best place to see fifty and more in all stages of vigour and decay is a walk along the Marie Louise Ride starting near Cadley.

Almost opposite Dobie Wyatt's is a forest road with a wide parkable entrance. Follow this road, leaving it to go round the field on the right and rise into the wood to soon pass the first significant oak (it has a green tag). Continue along the twisting path, past the large house to a new fence and steel gate. Through the gate and after some 40 yards a veritable avenue of oaks commences. The second old misshapen one on the left is 'Marie Louise North East'; a little further on and set well back on the right is 'Marie Louise South West', old, with a wide, bark stripped, mossy trunk. Both trees lack name boards. Now behind you (left of the path), strikingly pale, stark and dead, stands the original Marie Louise NE, visible behind smaller shrubs. After passing another twenty or so oaks and about 400 yards from the gate, a small tortuous path heads off right to a stile with Big Belly Oak just beyond. Returning to the original path and continuing, it soon becomes impossible to count all the oaks, and most are in good condition.

The path soon meets a wider one that crosses it; turn left and left again along a gravel road almost parallel to Marie Louise Ride.

After passing through a new gate, two low grass mounds are visible on the left: Boadicea's Graves. I leave you to speculate…

Further on a path descends from the right and re-ascends on the left, follow this leftward one and look for but don't bother visiting 'Spiral Oak' a decrepit specimen a hundred yards off to the right beside the plantation. Further along your path is a fine old oak, definitely worthy of a name, and then a large fallen beech before returning to the green tagged oak near Cadley.

Should you miss the final path, continue along the gravel road, turn left at the junction and the road will lead to your car - if you had one!

Marie Louise NE (original)


Marie Louise SW

Peter Noble