Remarkable Beech

After a an extremely good day at work, I went for a walk in Leechpool Woods which are always worth a visit. I made my way down to the far end of the wood and saw this remarkable Beech tree. It looks very old and has been through an awful lot, and the main trunk is completely hollow with one big section missing. Yet it is still very much alive and the upper twiggy branches have buds on them. The tree stands by a stream which feeds the pond I blipped a few weeks ago. The tree looks less battered on that side but there are some bracket fungi quite low down.

On my return through the woods I had the pleasure of meeting a friend from work with her friend out with their dogs which was completely unexpected and a pleasant surprise!