The wood or ‘forest’ as many children call it is not ancient woodland but was originally planted in the 1840s and so has many very mature trees – mainly beech, oak, ash and sycamore. Groups are allowed to use a large area of the woodland adjacent to the houses to play and explore safely.
Many groups take advantage of the services of Ruth Parsons, a Woodland Learning trainer, to learn more about trees and woodland in a fun and hands-on way. They learn new skills in an enjoyable way which helps them to develop personally and to understand and appreciate the woodland environment. Macaroni Wood currently has a grant to enable us to part fund a session with Ruth if groups would like to participate in a Woodland Learning experience.
There is a path around the wood that groups can use to walk and cycle through as well as a BMX track and a wheel chair accessible path at the back of Castree House. We also have a small adventure playground area and of course all the small animals that we keep at Macaroni Wood.
The wood is full of wildlife and for many children, young people and adults it is their first opportunity to see animals and birds that many of us take for granted. We often see rabbits, hares, stoats, deer, foxes, badgers, mice and the occasional hedgehog. The birdlife is prolific – we regularly see and hear buzzards mewing and calling whilst flying overhead and recently red kites have been seen frequently in the local area. There are feeding stations and nest boxes outside both houses that attract many varieties of small birds including robins, tits, finches, nuthatches, woodpeckers, thrushes etc. Small video cameras are attached to some of the nest boxes and images are relayed to the computers in the games rooms where groups can see chicks hatching in the spring and early summer months.
There is something to see and do in all seasons of the year but Macaroni Wood looks particularly beautiful in the spring months when the leaves are fresh and all shades of green after what have, in recent years, been long and cold winters. The colour of the leaves as they turn in the autumn and the cold crisp days of winter as well as the summer days that can be spent playing and learning outside all make Macaroni Wood an ideal location for a residential visit.
Many of our groups love to help feed and look after the animals at Macaroni Wood. We
feed the chickens and
collect their eggs every day and answer many questions – some of them very amusing about where chicks come from and does very egg have a chick inside! We hatch chicks every year to keep up our stock of laying hens and many groups have seen chicks pecking their way through the shells to emerge as a damp bundle of feathers that quickly dry out to become fluffy yellow ‘Easter’ chicks. We also have
turkeys and
guinea fowl that are very noisy and funny to watch as they wander through the woodland.
There are guinea pigs and rabbits for the groups to feed and stroke. All our small animals have been given to us by families that no longer want them and they love being here as they have large runs and huts to live and play in.
We now have two micro pigs – Herbert and Humphrey – who are now fully grown and not quite as ‘micro’ as many people imagine they should be! They are actually about the third of the size of a fully grown farm pig and very friendly if a little obsessed by food.
In the spring we sometimes have orphan lambs and goat kids to bottle feed and all the groups enjoy helping with the regular feeds…
As well as the woodland that groups can use to explore and play in we have a fleet of
mountain bikes, BMXs, tricycles, go karts, scooters and bikes for all ages that groups are welcome to use. There is a designated
BMX track with ramps and obstacles for the children to ride round. All the children have to wear a cycle helmet when using the bikes. The bikes are regularly maintained and locked away each night in the cycle shed.
There is a small adventure playground area with rope swings and slides plus two trampolines with safety sides that provide a great opportunity for exercise and play.
A fire pit area behind Castree House allows groups to build bonfires under supervision. In the very near future there will be another area of the woodland where groups will be allowed to build a bonfire and where Woodland Learning sessions can be held.
There are many public footpaths around Macaroni Wood and we have a supply of ordnance survey maps and lots of local knowledge to help groups plan walks in the local area.
Richard takes some groups on night walks where many people experience true darkness for the first time in their lives and which for some can be an unnerving experience but it is all done in a fun and informative way and for many a highlight of their stay at Macaroni Wood.
All activities are risk assessed and structures inspected and maintained on a regular basis.
