Alphabet series - P

 Found in the park of a 200+-year-old Fagus sylvatica, part of the Dark Hedges in County Antrim, Ireland. The avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century, on the road leading to their house, intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion. Two centuries later, with albeit a little wear and tear and some losses, the trees still remain an incredible sight and have become one of the most photographed places in Northern Ireland. This was after the trees were used as a filming location in HBO's Game of Thrones, where they represented the Kingsroad.

The road is now fully pedestrianised, barring emergency vehicles, after storms in 2016 caused concerns over root damage due to the increase in heavy traffic on the road. Personally, I am a massive fan of this change as it better maintains the atmosphere of the site, excluding cars from the landscape and better creating the mythical feel the trees are sought after for. I went in early spring so the trees were still bare, but I would love to return in the summer months to get the full experience of the tree tunnel.