Country diary: These woods have a secret - the bomber aircraft that once hid here | Jennifer Jones

Speke, Merseyside: Walking through Stockton's Wood today, you'd never know it played such a vital role in the second world warFor most visitors, the Tudor house of Speke Hall, with all its rich history and magnificence, is the star of the show here. But right next door, Stockton's Wood has a history all of its own.Today, on a chilly winter day, there's no escaping that right now this ancient woodland is an important "deadwood" site. It's rich in veteran trees and fallen branches, and has a stunning diversity of mosses and fungi. Pausing by a fallen oak, I count slime mould pimpling the bark, several species of small but perfectly formed bracket fungi, and candlesnuff fungus, fungal mycelium lurking where once sap flowed. A wind-thrown silver birch is caught in a sycamore's embrace. Continue reading...