 Heritage
Trail Location 8 - The Pinewoods
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| Fig 1 - through the Pinewoods on King George Avenue |
The Pinewoods were purchased by the Woodland Trust in recent years as a woodland rescue to prevent its loss due to development and to protect it for the enjoyment of local people and visitors to the town.
It comprises 8.1 hectares of woodland of mainly natural character, although heavily interplanted with exotic species in the mid 19th century.
Originally scrub land in a boggy area in the 1820s, and thus unploughable, the area became incorporated into the grounds of the Victoria Hotel, situated to the east, in the 1860s. The hotel was built by Thomas Hotchkin, as part of the spa grounds which also included a bath house The grounds were laid out with serpentine walks and planted with ornamental trees and avenues of pines, which give the wood its name. After the Victoria Hotel was burned down in 1920, the woodland has gradually reverted to natural scrub.
During World War 11 the woods suffered much damage because of army usage. For 2 years prior to D day, equipment, ammunition, military vehicles and fuel were stored, here, camouflaged by the sheltering canopy of branches. Soldiers vigilantly patrolled the area at all times. |
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