Spenshult, Naturreservat

Spenshult consists mainly of beech forests where some parts have a wild and untouched character. Here you will find mainly old beech trees, but also large ash and oak trees with wide crowns. In the northern part, an agricultural landscape has been preserved and there are also remains of two farms. There are marked trails in the easily accessible beech forest and one of these also works well for those who want to bring a stroller or wheelchair.
In parts of the reserve, there has not been much forestry and here we find mainly old beech trees, but also coarse ash and oak trees with wide crowns. High stumps, i.e. trees that have been broken off in the middle, remain to the delight of both hole-building birds and wood-living insects.

Getting around in the reserve

In Spenshult there is a specially adapted trail of 720 meters that is suitable for wheelchairs, walkers or prams. In some places, the gradient is greater than the recommendations for the TG trail, however, these gradients are quite short. There are benches to sit on that are adapted for wheelchairs and the like. The trail is marked with red trail markings from the parking lot. The connection back to the parking lot is steep in places if you want to get around, it may be easier to take the same way back.

There is also an excellent Hitta Vilse trail of one kilometer in the reserve, it starts directly from the parking lot where the start sign is located.

Valuable dead wood

On the ground, dead trees, flames, have been left to slowly rot and decompose. The rich cryptogamic flora shows that there has been a large supply of dead wood and old and rough trees for a long time. No less than 27 red-listed species have been noted in the nature reserve, including noble crown lichen, small noble lichen, crystal lichen, violet-grey porcupine lichen, yellow pyssling lichen and skirmosa are well worth mentioning. Skirmossan, which is Halland's landscape moss, is only found in around 50 locations in the country, of which just under half are here in Halland.

Old house foundations and lanes

In the northern part of the reserve, parts of an old agricultural landscape are preserved. Areas have been cultivated and grazed over the years and are still kept open. Close by are the remains of two farms. The foundations of houses, farmyards, earth cellars, hedgerows, cairns, nursery trees, hazel bushes and daffodils tell us that there was once a lot of activity here. To keep the old farm environment open and prevent it from being swallowed up by the forest, the area is grazed by cattle.

In the beech forests around Spenshult, there are also traces of even older cultivations, so-called fossil fields, which show that the area has been inhabited for a long time.

Bubbling water

The farmland in the north is on a small plateau from where you can look down into the beech forest that borders Spenshult's old hospital. Between the foliage you can see a sparkling stream that meanders through the entire area. Along the watercourse, the ground is spring-affected and silted up. In the upper part, the vascular plant flora is rich, with elements of large witch hazel, dwarf witch hazel and wood sorrel. In the wetter areas, you can also see the densely tufted sedge and the herb goldenrod, a plant that blooms in beautiful yellow-green colors in early summer. The forest along the stream changes from beech, oak and maple to a fine alder and ash swamp forest. To the south, it consists more of a deciduous mixed coniferous swamp forest.

History of the area

In the south, Spenshult connects to the very valuable deciduous forests in the Nissaström nature reserve. Also to the north is a nature reserve, Skrockeberg, with important beech forests. The area around Spenshult itself has been forested for several hundred years, although the forest has changed character over the years. On maps from the mid-17th century, Spenshult is part of a larger area referred to as "stoor bokeskough". A century later, the forest seems to have thinned out somewhat and on the maps from this time the area is instead called "Spenshults ängagärde". By the middle of the 19th century, the area is again counted as beech forest.