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USA Today
3 days ago
- General
- USA Today
The heir's property: one man's journey to reclaim family land in the American South
'The Heir's Property" is an in-depth look at the issue of land passed down through generations, told through the lens of one man's struggle to retain land purchased a century ago by his great-grandfather, who was born into slavery during the Confederacy. Heirs' property is usually defined as land handed down without clear, official documentation. Over the course of the 20th century, Black Americans lost roughly 80% of the property they owned at the peak of ownership a few decades after the Civil War because of theft and systemic injustices. This is the first in a two-part series. It was a hot July afternoon, and Saul Blair stood at the edge of a forest in northern Georgia, watching a pickup truck bounce along a rutted dirt road. Blair is a retired health care executive who wore a suit and tie to work every day, long after everyone else switched to khakis. At one point in his career, as regional director for a national company, his territory − Arizona and part of New Mexico − generated 40% of the revenue for the entire country. On this day, he wore the body armor of a modern weekend warrior: Patagonia sweat-wicking, sun-blocking separates; trail running shoes; bug spray. For all that, the land had gotten under his skin. The property had been purchased by Blair's great-grandfather, John Thomas, Jr., a man born into slavery in 1859 who nonetheless managed the incredible: acquiring more than 300 acres deep in the heart of the Confederacy and dividing it among his 11 children when he died. Blair inherited the plots owned by his mother, Amminita Benson-Blair, who begged Saul on her deathbed in 2010 to 'not lose Grandaddy's land.' He has spent the better part of his retirement − and a lot of time in the years before it − trying to honor that request. How hard could it be to 'not lose' several dozen acres of land? In a nation where the scars of slavery and racialized violence still loom, pretty hard, as it turns out. Researchers estimate that between 1865 and 1910, Black Americans acquired 15 million acres of land. But by 2001, an estimated 80% of it had been lost. 'Lost' can mean several things: sold for pennies on the dollar by ancestors who had no other options, seized in a tax lien sale or foreclosure auction, taken by scammers, held in indefinite legal limbo when succeeding generations have so many part-owners that they can't agree on anything. Blair's records are meticulous and his research extensive. His two parcels of property are held in trust by LLCs he organized. He has an agreement with a program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a good relationship with Georgia's state Forestry Commission. He knows about property law, forest management and local history thanks to his yearslong odyssey to make the land his own. Yet the man driving toward him was about the 17th logger Blair had contacted over the past year and a half. As part of the agreement with the USDA, some trees needed to be cut down and hauled out. Most loggers told him the job was too small to be worth their while. Some said conditions were too wet, or the trees were too young. Many simply never called back. Blair had higher hopes for the man maneuvering toward him that morning. Charles Ware was a family friend. He was a jack-of-all-trades, not the owner of an established logging company, and was hungrier for the work. He was also Black. For all his advantages − and Blair knew he was one of the lucky ones − wrangling the land often felt futile. He felt it slipping through his fingers, little by little. The primary purpose of his visit was hiring a logger, but the more he learned about the roadblocks faced by Thomas' other descendants, the more he despaired. 'If I can't make this work, other Black landowners are doomed,' he said. John Thomas Jr. John Thomas Jr. spent $4,735.60 − about $107,000 in today's dollars − for 306.59 acres of farmland in Rayle, a speck of a town two hours east of Atlanta. When he died, one parcel went to Lizzie Thomas, who later married Alfred Benson. Amminita, Blair's mother, was their daughter. Saul Blair was born in Los Angeles in 1949. He's the middle child, with one older and one younger sister. His father was often absent, and he was gone by the time Saul graduated high school. At age 16, Blair started working in a hospital over spring vacation, filing, pulling patient charts, and doing other clerical work. He stayed on, going to school from morning to midafternoon, then worked at the hospital from about 3 to 11 p.m. He kept up that schedule through four years at UCLA, and when he graduated, he started working at the hospital full time. All told, he spent nearly two decades there. He got married and had three sons. In 1984, a memory tugged at him. He asked a legal firm affiliated with the hospital to track down what had become of the land his great-grandfather left to his children. A lawyer named Cheri Laverty returned an astonishing four-page document tracing each of the 11 plots − she called them 'tracks' or 'tracts,' variously − through the previous five decades. Some of the plots had been foreclosed on; some had been sold, including one for as little as $10. Laverty included a hand-sketched family tree of sorts, noting the transactions. 'In summarizing, I think that you can safely assume that Tract Nos. 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 have been legally transferred to people outside of your family,' Laverty wrote. Not even 50 years had passed since Thomas died, and half of his legacy was gone. Blair read the report, put it in a desk drawer and carried on with his life: raising his sons and advancing a hard-charging career. What is heirs' property? Property that passes informally between generations may be one of the thorniest yet least-acknowledged challenges facing Black Americans today. One of the most comprehensive estimates suggests there's well over $30 billion worth of such property throughout the country, much of it in the Deep South and Appalachia. Though Americans of all backgrounds have personal experience with family property transfers that don't go smoothly, it may be particularly resonant among Black and Native American communities. Fannie Mae, which wrote the analysis noted above, puts it this way: 'Inherited properties can have title issues, which in some cases are a product of generations of systemic exclusion from financial and legal systems. Due to various racial and economic disparities, land retention and wealth acquisition are inhibited for some households due to property title issues.' In 2020, Thomas Mitchell, a law professor, won a MacArthur Genius Grant for his work on heirs' property legal reforms. One of Mitchell's most crucial accomplishments was developing model legislation for states to protect heir-owners and streamline the process for resolving their estates. The legislation, the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, has become law in 22 states, including Georgia. In awarding the grant, the MacArthur Foundation said 'Mitchell is remedying a major factor in the racial wealth gap.' Saul Blair's recognition of the enormity of the situation energizes his efforts. 'Is our family also the victim of inappropriate acquisition of land (by) whites?' he mused in June. 'If it's true, then we want our land back. It's become my mission. And I don't apologize to anybody.' First steps Blair left Cheri Laverty's research untouched for nearly 20 years, but in the early 2000s, as his mother's health declined, he pulled it out again and began to use the internet to do his own research. He found an organization called the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, where an attorney helped him get the title establishing formal ownership of his parcel. With her guidance, Blair also set up the LLC with some of his cousins. His research also led him to McIntosh SEED (Sustainable Environment and Economic Development), a rural community development organization. McIntosh SEED works across the Deep South and views its agricultural work as inseparable from fighting racism. The group helped Blair develop a land management program and connected him to a branch of the USDA called the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners work toward cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better conditions for wildlife. EQIP can help small landowners offset some of the costs of maintaining their property, but perhaps even more valuable is the on-the-ground assistance Blair gets from a state agency that helps implement its plan. Casey Tudor, a forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, knows Blair's two tracts like some people know their own backyards. During Blair's June trip, Tudor explained that the most important reason to thin out trees is to allow more sunlight to penetrate the forest. Georgia is the most-forested state in the nation, Tudor said in an interview with USA TODAY, which means that if someone inherits land there, it's a good bet it's going to 'have timber all over it.' The success of some of the programs for landowners may mean more property is transitioning from agriculture toward forests. An outbreak of pine beetles and 2024's Hurricane Helene helped contribute to a glut of pulpwood in the market, however, which drove down the value of that wood and made loggers even less interested in investing resources on a small lot like Blair's. The Wilkes County Colony Blair knows little about John Thomas' life despite his extensive research. He spoke in June with Susan O'Donovan, a professor at the University of Memphis whose research focuses on the lives of formerly enslaved people in the period after the Civil War. O'Donovan didn't know about John Thomas before being contacted as part of this USA TODAY project but was familiar with the history of a group of formerly enslaved people from Wilkes County. 'A bunch of them pooled their money, formed what we now know as the Wilkes County Colony, and relocated into southwest Georgia, where they rented a plantation in Dougherty County,' O'Donovan said in an interview. It was just one example of freed people banding together in a world turned upside down by emancipation. The federal government's few attempts to transition the recently emancipated into the postwar economy were inadequate, historians believe. And life was hard. During the war, the South lost its place as the world's major supplier of cotton, so by 1867, its economy was suffering, even as much of the land had been degraded by the crop itself. Most work available to formerly enslaved people would have involved farming. Sharecropping − akin to indentured servitude − would have been the least appealing. One step up from that was working for someone else, usually a White farmer or plantation owner, for wages. That presented less risk but almost zero autonomy, and working conditions were often not much different from slavery. One step up from 'wage work' was renting your own land, which is how John Thomas started out. It was still risky, but it provided more independence. 'The best thing was to own your own land,' O'Donovan said. 'If you could pay for your land, and if you could make enough every year to cover your taxes, you weren't beholden to anybody. You bore the risk of the crop. But you could grow enough food to survive. You had an autonomy as a landholder that was denied to everybody else.' O'Donovan speculates that Thomas took advantage of his limited autonomy as a renter to make additional streams of income however he could: growing fruit and vegetables for sale in nearby towns, or to the steamboat trade that sprung up along the Savannah River. He may also have cut wood for sale. Thomas' children probably contributed to the family's income. Boys may have worked in the field, and girls may have been indoor domestic workers. 'These weren't high-wage opportunities,' O'Donovan said. 'But if you had the freedom to piece them together, which you're not going to get if you're a wage worker or a sharecropper, you could begin to generate that money.' The document that recorded Thomas' land purchase says he had previously rented it. He and others who had been enslaved would have been acutely aware of the importance of owning property, O'Donovan said, in large part from simply observing the race and power dynamics around them: White people owned, Black people did not. The same notions about real estate we accept today − ''It's an asset; you can pass it on to your children; this is how you build wealth" − would have been just as familiar then. 'Generations of African-Americans were not able to build wealth generation by generation, by accumulating property, being able to pay for their kids to go to college, all this stuff,' O'Donovan said. 'That is what makes the middle class the middle class, which makes rich people rich. Yeah, housing is everything.' The plot thickens Of all the mysteries surrounding John Thomas' life, one of the most confounding is how he pulled it off. Blair had long assumed that Thomas had paid cash for the property, and O'Donovan confirmed it's almost unimaginable that a Black man could have found a way to finance the purchase that wouldn't have been so costly as to be prohibitive. But recently, a detail on the purchase documents had caught Blair's attention. Nine years had passed between when the landowners made Thomas a 'bond for title,' whatever that was, and when the official ownership document was filed. Had Thomas paid the White men installments on the property from 1909 to 1918? Blair found either scenario − that a formerly enslaved man could have come up with the equivalent of $100,000 cash, or that he could have trusted a White family to make good on a yearslong agreement in the same community where human beings had only recently been chattel property − equally dubious. In late June, Blair traveled to Georgia with two first cousins. He and Linda Benson, 69, a special-education teacher who lives near him in Mesa, Arizona, spent little time together as children but have become close as adults. Another cousin, Carol Nickelson, is 84 and lives in Manhattan, retired from managerial roles at big companies like Verizon. All are grandchildren of Lizzie Benson, one of John's 11 children. Blair is responsible for two of the original 11 parcels of land: Tract 3, which he manages via an LLC that includes the cousins and other descendants of Lizzie Benson, and Tract 4, which he bought from a distant cousin named Yolande Minor. The purpose of the trip was hiring a logger for the two tracts, but they also took the opportunity to meet family. Blair had wanted to see Minor, but she was in the hospital. Instead, he and Benson had lunch with Ella Barnes and Vivian Gamble, sisters who were also Thomas' great-granddaughters. Barnes and Gamble had their own predicament. Their property had become landlocked. Outsiders had bought up some of Thomas' property to their south, blocking their only access point. And at some time in the past few years, they discovered their tax bills were being sent to, and paid, by someone with no connection to the family, without their knowledge. Over lunch, the sisters asked Benson and Blair to visit the tax office in the Rayles county seat on their behalf to sort out the tax question. As they drove away, the two cousins were perplexed. How could a random stranger be paying the family's taxes? They assumed Ella and Vivian would have to have been delinquent before such a thing could happen. Blair, who's usually good-natured, often half-joked that his inability to hire a logger felt like a 'conspiracy.' Was this another collusion to deprive the family of their inheritance? Coming Sunday: The Heir's Property, Part 2
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Owners of land ordered to replant trees after they were felled
The owner of a piece of land has been ordered to replant trees after a number were felled on the land. The green space is an area of grass at the junction of Wapping Street and Winter Street in Halliwell. It was sold to a 'mystery buyer' for £252,000 last year, a sum vastly higher than the guide price of £5,000 to £10,000. But following this sale, around a year ago, residents report that a number of "mature" trees on the land were felled. The area of land (Image: Newsquest) Now, the owners of the land have been ordered by the Forestry Commission to replant trees in place of the old ones. A notice was recently put up on the corner of the land, addressed to the owner/occupier of the land and written by a Forestry Commission official. It reads: "It has been established that you felled trees to the northwest side of Raglan Street and the northwest side of Wapping Street, Bolton, without a felling license in contravention of the provisions of the Forestry Act 1967. "The Forestry Commissioners, in pursuance of their powers under Section 17A of that Act, hereby give notice requiring you to carry out the restocking specified in the schedule below." The notice (Image: Newsquest) It adds that, before June 30 next year, the area "must be restocked with native broadleaf species to achieve 30 individual trees". Read more: Newly planted trees 'deliberately pulled up' in 'senseless act' Read more: The number of trees with preservation orders felled this year Read more: Mystery buyer pays £252,000 for tiny plot of land expected to cost just £5,000 The notice states that if the trees cannot be naturally regenerated from remaining stumps, then nine small leaved lime trees, nine alder trees, nine Norway maple trees and three sycamore trees must be planted. It adds: "For a period of 10 years from planting, or in the case of natural regeneration, the first visible signs of regeneration, the trees must be properly protected against damage, adequately weeded and maintained in accordance with good forestry practice." One resident who lives nearby said: "It was disappointing (when they were felled) because they were very mature trees, they were huge. "I think it's fair enough, if they have not followed procedure then I think what they are being asked to do is fair enough." Where the trees used to sit (Image: Newsquest) A couple of other residents said they would like to see the trees replanted, with one adding "trees improve everything". Cllr Safwaan Patel of Halliwell said: "If the Forestry Commission has said they need planting then there is no way around it. "Halliwell has a lack of green spaces throughout. "It is the landowner's responsibility to make sure to check the rules, this seems like an oversight on the owner's part." A Forestry Commission spokesperson said: "The Forestry Commission takes all cases of illegal tree felling very seriously. 'Following confirmation of an illegal tree felling, the Forestry Commission has served a Restocking Notice for this site, requiring the landowner to restock the land with trees."
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Pit bull-type dogs attack prominent SC prosecutor out for a jog at Harbison Forest
A prominent Columbia federal prosecutor out for a jog in Harbison State Forest found himself fighting for his life when he was attacked by two large unchained pit bull-type dogs over the weekend. But Winston Holliday, who has helped put some of South Carolina's most notorious criminals behind bars, was saved when an off-duty police officer happened upon what could have been a fatal mauling Saturday morning. The dogs were either pit bulls or pit bull mixes, Holliday said. Holliday, 57, an avid jogger and runner, suffered wounds to his arms and legs, the most serious being to his right forearm. The gash from dog bites required five stitches. A photo Holliday posted on Facebook shows his arm stitched up and spattered with blood. One of his hands won't close because it is so swollen from punching the dogs in self defense. All told, he received 17 stitches on his arms and legs as a result of the attack. Meanwhile, the state Forestry Commission said Monday afternoon that it is closing Harbison State Forest until at least Thursday while it tries to locate the dogs. The commission's notice was posted on FaceBook. The commission said that it had become aware of other incidents in and around the state forest near Broad River Road. Two large aggressive dogs cornered a teenager Friday, but the youth managed to escape without injury, the commission said in its Facebook post. Holliday's attack is being investigated by the Columbia police department, whose jurisdiction includes Harbison forest. Dog traps have been set in an effort to capture the animals, which the Forestry Commission said had not been seen since Saturday. A Forestry Commission spokesperson did not return calls by The State seeking more information, but its Facebook post said a similar dog sighting had been reported July 9. 'Nobody knows who the dogs belong to,' said Columbia police Chief Skip Holbrook. 'Animal control has put some traps out to try to trap them. We have notified the park law enforcement to be aware and be on the lookout also.' Holbrook said it is also possible that the dogs may be running wild. Determining their ownership, or lack thereof, is one of the objects of the police investigation. In an interview with The State, Holliday said he may not have survived the attack if the other man had not happened upon the brutal event. The dogs stopped attacking and ran away when the man, Marc Miramontes, an off-duty police officer with the Lexington police department, showed up, said Holliday, who worked with Miramontes in law enforcement years ago and sometimes sees him while on runs at Harbison State Forest. 'I remember thinking 'I'm flagging, I'm getting tired and they are not losing any''' energy, Holliday said. 'They were getting more aggressive. I think they sensed that I was getting tired. If Marc hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened.'' Because of the attack, Holliday said he is on antibiotics and will have to undergo a series of rabies shots during the next two weeks. Holliday said the state Forestry Commission, which oversees Harbison forest, is investigating the incident, along with local law enforcement. Holliday spoke with an animal control officer Monday morning. At least one person has indicated he could identify the dogs. Holliday said he hopes they are caught because the animals could hurt other people. They have been reported to have attacked several people's pets in neighborhoods near Harbison State Forest, Holliday said. State foresters told him there had been other reports of the dogs being spotted near the nature preserve, Holliday said. The federal prosecutor said he suspects the dogs were not strays but were owned by someone because they appeared well-fed. They could have been trained as hunting dogs, based on how they worked together during the attack, he said. 'They're strong dogs; they're not being fed on frogs and crickets,'' he said. Harbison State Forest, just nine miles from Columbia's downtown, attracts numerous visitors and nature lovers. A 2,137-acre greenspace, with more than 18 miles of trails, it is a mecca for families, group daytime excursions and outdoor enthusiasts of all types, from joggers to mountain bikers to canoeists. Holliday, an assistant U.S. Attorney in Columbia since 2003, has been on prosecution teams that have sent some of South Carolina's most prominent criminals to prison, including fraudster and convicted killer Alex Murdaugh. Although state prosecutors persuaded a jury to convict Murdaugh of the double murders of his wife and son, Holliday and two other federal prosecutors secured Murdaugh's guilty plea for numerous cases of fraud. Holliday also prosecuted top SCANA and Westinghouse Electric officials for criminal charges related to the failure of the effort to build two new nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer plant in Fairfield County. Additionally, he and his colleagues have focused on wildlife crimes, as well as on illicit dog fighting rings. Details of the attack Saturday are chilling. A distance runner for 40 years who regularly jogs the trails at Harbison State Forest near his home, Holliday said he was more than a quarter mile into a run through the forest about 7:30 a.m. Saturday when he heard two dogs barking to his left, 15 feet away. As he looked over, he saw the pit-bull-like dogs advancing and beginning to circle him, as if they were a team preparing for an attack. Pit bulls are often considered unpredictable and are responsible for many attacks on people across the country. Typically, dogs that bark at joggers will run away or calm down when the jogger makes noise and yells at them, said Holliday, who has run in distance races across the world, including in Africa and Jamaica, and who is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School. But the Harbison dogs were different. They came after him as he tried to scare them off, he said. While one animal would bark, the other would lunge at him, Holliday said. The dogs inflicted wounds by biting, then tearing at his flesh, he said. 'Once they were circling, one of them was always trying to be in front of me, while the other one got behind me,'' he said. 'In whichever way I was looking, the other dog would launch. I was kind of spinning.'' He tried to fight the dogs off with a stick and with punches, but they kept coming . The animals weighed anywhere from 75 to 90 pounds, he said. Hitting them was like 'hitting a concrete block,'' he said. Holliday, who weighs a lean 185 pounds, said he doubts someone smaller could have held the dogs off. He estimates the attack occurred for about five minutes. Holliday, who is married and the father of three grown children, said it will be hard to forget what happened over the weekend on what he expected was little more than a routine jog. 'As bad as the physical injuries are, in a couple of weeks, that's going to be fine,'' he said. 'But mentally, trying to get back to the point where you feel comfortable running by yourself, I don't know. The sense of helplessness is not something I ever want to experience again.'' This story has been updated with comments from Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook and information from the S.C. Forestry Commission.
The Herald Scotland
27-06-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
75 years of public forestry conservation work in Glen Affric
Regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Scotland, it contains one of the best (and third largest) examples of the Caledonian Forest that once covered much of Scotland. FLS North Region Manager, Alex Macleod, said: 'Glen Affric is a special and spectacular place. We have been working here for a long time, working with other landowners, and community and volunteer groups, on the long and slow process of restoring the Caledonian forest in this iconic Glen. 'In all that time, we estimate that we've protected and restored hundreds of hectares of Caledonian Pinewood through planting and allowing natural regeneration of Scots Pine and native broadleaves. READ MORE: 'That Affric looks as it now does belies the fact that this most natural looking of destinations is under constant management. But it is a fitting testament to the success of decades of effort that has included planting and forest management, as well as fencing and – crucially – deer management to protect the young trees. 'Where possible we are using natural processes to protect and restore the rare habitats and species in the area but it's unlikely that Glen Affric will ever be wholly free of management but we can thank those mid-20th century foresters for having the long-term vision that has helped us create what is there today.' Amongst its many designations, it is a Caledonian Forest Reserve, a site of special scientific interest, a national scenic area and a national nature reserve, as well as holding several other European conservation designations. Deer management has been pivotal to success. When the Forestry Commission acquired Glen Affric (1948) years of unchecked deer browsing meant that there were very few Scots pine trees under 100 years of age. Some of those trees had to be felled to make space for the millions of young trees (grown from local Scots pine seed) planted by the Forestry Commission in fenced pinewood reserves at the start of the forest regeneration process. In the 1950s the Commission was still fulfilling its post-war remit to increase tree cover, so also planted species like lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce. However, within 20 years, the evolution of forestry knowledge and thinking saw a reversal of this policy and the reduction of non-native species from key areas. The core pinewood is anticipated to be free of non-native species within the next decade but productive forestry will continue to have a presence in the Glen both to allow ongoing restructuring of forests and provide local economic benefit. Mr Macleod added: 'The 75 years of work has seen a significant protection and expansion of the Caledonian woodland, major improvements in the structure of woodlands and the reach of montane woodland, as well as the restoration of wetlands, peatland and other open land habitats. This has been a real boost for biodiversity with a wide range of animal, bird and insect species – from dragonflies to red deer, and mountain hares to golden eagles. 'It has also been a real boost for visitor numbers, with the Glen renowned as a high value, high quality recreation area and visitor destination. 'High visitor numbers– and the potential impact that this could have – climate change and wildlife management are going to be the main challenges that we will continue to address as we move towards us reaching our centenary in Glen Affric. 'We remain fully committed to the sensitive stewardship of Glen Affric on behalf of the nation and to our continued partnership working with our neighbours, the local communities and stakeholders, such as Trees for Life, Affric Highlands and the Deer Management Group, to ensure that Glen Affric is cared for future generations to experience and enjoy.' A good deal of experience has been built up about the practical application of interventions over 75 years of work but there is still scope for more science and research to be done to better understand both how these interventions affect the less visible species and functions, and what natural processes are doing in Glen Affric.
Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Waterfalls, wildlife and cafe in little-known UK forest trail that locals love
Hafren Forest is a haven of peace and beauty, with its cascading waterfalls, wildlife, and trails that take you through ancient woodland and to the source of the River Severn Stepping onto the woodland trail, you'll immediately be struck by the crisp air, tinged with the earthy aroma of damp pine and moss - a sensory reminder that this is nature in its rawest form. This is the lesser-known Hafren Forest in Mid Wales, home to cascading waters, trails and a quaint café just a short drive away. Hafren is a meticulously managed woodland with an intriguing history and an abundance of trails to discover. Originally planted by the Forestry Commission in the 1930s for timber production, it now offers much more than just rows of trees. READ MORE: Shoppers say 'beautiful' statement jewellery is a 'compliment getter' Now under the stewardship of Natural Resources Wales, the forest strikes a balance between commercial forestry, conservation, and public enjoyment, making it a crucial habitat for wildlife and a sanctuary for outdoor enthusiasts. The name 'Hafren' derives from the Welsh term for the River Severn (Afon Hafren), which embarks on its impressive journey to the sea right here. Over the years, Hafren Forest has transformed into a popular and accessible walking destination, with its blend of natural beauty, heritage features and well-maintained trails drawing visitors all year round The trails here are clearly marked and welcoming, meandering through groves of pines and firs. Their natural symmetry forms archways overhead, framing the path ahead. When sunlight pierces the clouded sky, it floods in golden beams, lighting up leaves and bark, reports Wales Online. The River Severn, or Afon Hafren as it's locally known, takes the spotlight here. It originates from the slopes of Pumlumon, with its concealed source nestled just beyond the forest. Initially, it's merely a tranquil stream meandering through the trees with quiet resolve. However, it soon gains momentum, cascading over rocky ledges and morphing into thunderous waterfalls that carve their way through the landscape with unyielding vigour. Forest trails There's an abundance of trails to explore here, all clearly marked from beginning to end. Starting at the Rhyd-y-benwch car park, the paths guide you through towering trees, alongside rushing waterfalls, and even to the hidden source of the River Severn. The Cascades Walk is a gentle amble suitable for all visitors. It commences with a sloping path from the car park and leads to a scenic boardwalk that skirts the riverbank. Along the route, water cascades over rocks, providing a calming backdrop to your woodland walk. At the boardwalk's end, a raised viewing platform offers a splendid spot to pause and soak in the surroundings before looping back along a broad, well-maintained path through the forest. The Severn-Break-Its-Neck trail is as thrilling as its name implies. Starting from the car park, you'll meander along a gentle path by the river until it opens up into a meadow. Here, a boardwalk brings you closer to the sound of gushing water. After a short climb, the Severn-Break-Its-Neck waterfall comes into sight. At this point, the River Severn roars down a rocky ravine, its raw power tangible as you cross the footbridge above. The return journey follows a forest road, offering panoramic views through the trees and a chance to recover after the steeper sections. Blaen Hafren Falls Trail (6 km, 1.5 hours, Moderate) For a more extended hike, the Blaen Hafren Falls Trail provides a longer, more immersive stroll through the forest canopy. The route follows a well-maintained gravel path alongside the River Severn, leading you through peaceful woodland. As the trail climbs, glimpses of the surrounding forest appear before unveiling the cascading Blaen Hafren Falls hidden amongst the trees. Benches scattered along the way offer spots to rest and soak in the scenery. The trail loops back via a forest road, making it a rewarding choice if you're up for a hiking challenge. Source of the Severn Trail (13 km, 5 hours, Strenuous) This is my preferred route in the Hafren Forest as it leads to the source of the River Severn. It's astounding to think that the mighty River Severn, which spans over 200 miles, begins its journey here in Hafren Forest. Its humble beginnings on the slopes of Pumlumon quickly gather pace as the water carves its path through the forest, forming a series of lively cascades and waterfalls. As you traverse the trails, the river's sound alters, becoming more potent and persistent. Each stride brings you nearer to the water's rhythm, building like an overture before unveiling its concealed source beyond the edge of the forest. Reaching the source is no ordinary stroll. A steep ascent takes you onto the moorland, where a simple, carved wooden post marks the precise spot. Beyond Hafren - long-distance adventures Hafren Forest also serves as the starting point for two epic long-distance walks. The Wye Valley Walk traces the River Wye for 136 miles, while the Severn Way follows the Severn's journey to Bristol. For a shorter challenge, the Sarn Sabrina circular walk offers 25 miles of myths and landscapes named after a Celtic river goddess. Cyclists can also explore the area via the Sustrans National Cycle Network, which meanders through the forest and beyond. It's a fantastic way to experience the region's beauty at a faster pace. Afternoon tea at Cobblers Tea Room If all that walking has left you famished, jump in the car and head to the charming market town of Llaindloes. Here, you will discover the vintage Cobblers Tea Room on the High Street, a cosy spot for coffee and cakes. Step inside, and you're greeted with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods still warm from the oven. This quaint, traditional tea room has been a hit with locals since it changed hands in December 2018. Their reasonably priced menu boasts homemade treats. Cakes are baked on the premises, and depending on the season, you can enjoy mince pies in winter or gelato in summer. Sandwiches are freshly prepared to order, and the daily homemade soup is just the ticket for warming up after a long forest walk.
