Pigneys Wood has just joined the Norfolk Wildlife Trust 'family'. The NWT's Head of People and Wildlife, David North, gives himself an autumn tree-time treat.

I've just had the joy of discovering a special new place that I know I will go back to many times to enjoy in different seasons and moods. And last Friday this place became a Norfolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve.

Pigneys Wood lies just a few miles from North Walsham. I arrived on a rather blustery autumn afternoon, the sort of weather that sets tree branches dancing and leaves falling.

Most of Pigneys' trees were still fully clothed with leaves in summer green, though the silver birches were already dressed for autumn; yellow and gold leaves dancing in the wind. Field maple and dogwood leaves also sported their autumn tints.

Surprisingly though the most showy leaves were on the brambles growing alongside the path; some individual leaves vibrantly painted in reds, scarlet, orange and yellow. Another sign of autumn was the distinctive smell of fungi and hidden under the now golden-brown fronds of bracken I found the unmistakeable stinkhorn – once smelled never forgotten! For the sake of propriety I won't attempt a description but, if you don't know what it looks like, then you could try googling stinkhorn to find out. Its scientific name, Phallus impudicus, will give you a clue!

Taking just a short walk from the car park to my surprise I soon discovered that despite the name this is much more than a wood; it's also a wetland, complete with small reedbed and ponds, as well as a grassland with lovely open, grassy meadow areas.

This is a place that has clearly been very loved and cared for by the local community, for though I discovered a few wonderful, ancient, gnarly veteran oaks, which must be hundreds of years old, much of the woodland was young, having been planted by community volunteers over the past 24 years. Indeed one of the notice boards informed me that more than 20,000 trees have been planted here by local volunteers, brought together by the North Norfolk Community Woodland Trust.

Near the entrance there are several wooden picnic tables. Further along the trail I discovered a well-positioned seat providing a great look-out over an open grassy slope with a vista of the surrounding countryside. A perfect excuse to sit and enjoy peace and quiet - or so I thought until the silence was almost immediately broken by a very noisy dispute between jays hidden nearby.

During my five minutes sitting here I was treated to regular, overhead fly-pasts by at least two jays, each with bill slightly open gripping an acorn. Jays with pink breasts, vibrant blue set against black on their wings, and distinctive bold white rumps visible as they fly away, must be one of our most striking woodland birds. And though they appear to be carrying just a single acorn, in fact they are able to carry up to ten in their throat and oesophagus. Each one will be buried individually over the autumn; an individual bird may store several thousand as a larder for winter. How they remember the exact location of each, perhaps even when the ground has a carpet of snow, is a true wonder. Of course if a jay dies, or is not blessed with a perfect memory, it will have done the oak tree a service by distributing and carefully planting its acorns.

My walk took me to the southern boundary of the site formed by the Dilham Canal with an enticing-looking footpath alongside it. The western boundary of Pigneys is also a pathway, the Paston Way, which follows the line of a disused railway. Though it was closed for repair work on the day I visited, the route of the Paston Way provides an accessible footpath all the way from North Walsham. Another walk to be explored on another day.

On my short walk back to my car I was able to spot silver birch, sweet chestnut, spindle, ash, alder, hawthorn, crab apple, oak, guelder rose, willow, scot's pine, holly, hazel, blackthorn, poplar, rowan, sycamore, beech, horse chestnut, hornbeam, walnut and wild cherry along with ivy and honeysuckle. An amazing diversity of shrubs and trees and at this time of year most were carrying distinctive seeds and fruit; winged sycamore and

field maple seeds, the remarkable pink and orange berries of spindle, shiny brown conkers peeping out of spiky, armoured, green cases, warm-brown sweet chestnuts, looking ripe for gathering, and even the odd hazel nut that the squirrels had missed. Tree-time treats for people

and wildlife.

If you want to discover fruits of the forest, or learn how to recognise our native trees and shrubs, then I can think of no better place to visit than Pigneys Wood. I know I will be back soon to discover more of its secrets.

Pigneys Wood lies in the parish of Knapton. The car park is off Hall Lane. (OS Map Reference: TG 296321) The wood is just two miles from North Walsham and well signposted with brown direction signs. Facilities: There is a small hard-standing car park, several way-marked circular trails, picnic tables, information boards, bench seats and a small open fronted covered shelter.