Tracton Wood

• • Tracton is a long narrow V shaped wood in a river valley. As a result the wood is quite steep in parts and can result in courses which are quite physical. In the lower sections of the wood the pine trees are fairly dense which means this area is often quite dark even on a bright day. There are some lovely relatively flat trails bordering the river in the middle section of the wood while the upper section of the wood the valley flattens somewhat to provide nice areas of forest run. Harvesting in recent years has resulted in the widening of one of the main tracks through the wood and the surface is now comprised of large stones which isn’t ideal for running. However the numerous other pine cushioned paths provide a smoother running surface and can often dictate route choice.Map Scale: 1:7,500Parking: There is limited parking at the forest entrance.Forest TriviaIt is named after Tracton abbey a Roman Catholic monastery that was in the area in medieval times. The Latin name of the abbey was 'Albus Tractus' or 'De Alba Tractu" - meaning of the white tract or the white coast. The monks of Tracton were known as the Monks of the White Tract Vale.

  • At nearby Minane, the finest specimens hitherto discovered of a rare mineral, called hydrargillite or wavellite, have been dug up.

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