Mystery Ruins in the Woods ~ Coventry Woods Nature Preserve

[@phillyflicks]

Majority of that park used to be a church camp - Camp Fernbrook most recently, but it had different names and church affiliations since the first part of the 20th century. The rest of the land was also acquired by the township including a parcel that was a retreat for The Hill School. You missed quite a bit - the original Lodge, a former airplane landing strip and hangar and most interesting of all Love Valley. Please look up the interesting story of Love Valley, haha it's a classic. Use the entrance at 1954 St. Peters Rd next time.

[@kateclark7250]

Boy this is a really interesting place! Thank you for sharing this adventure, Cliff. And it's better to have torn your pants, not your leg.

[@tommyc9659]

Right behind you BIGFOOT LOL CLIFF NICE WALK THANKS

[@wanderingoutyonder]

Super cool area to explore! Interesting to think of the history there!

[@Carolbearce]

Fun walk in the woods and yes you did catch a glimpse of the fox on video. Cool to see.

[@bekleidungu.ausrustung7068]

Nice video, Cliff. You did get the fox on camera, and those 3 buildings , I'll bet were part of Camp Fernwood, maybe old picnic gazebo type structures that they tore down. I love hiking in the snow, the leaves and cold weather make everything sound loud & crunchy

[@historyrepeated9529]

The buildings with the short side walls that appear to have collapsed could have been an old maple syrup camp, with the evaporator and sweetwater holding tanks removed before the walls collapsed. There is an old sugar camp near where I live in central Indiana that is built the same way with the roofline very close to the ground and the evaporator is below ground level. Try to find out if the surrounding trees are sugar maples and I will try to get more info on it later this month...

[@TheSaneHatter]

That sounds like a pretty . . . SWEET theory? 😎 Something like that would have been a welcome addition to any wilderness community, I think: hunters & trappers, charcoal furnaces, beekeepers, syrump-makers, all with something to trade with each other.... In any case, it's a pity it didn't survive: it would make a fascinating activity for the camp kids or as a living-history exhibit.

[@DDExplores]

Cool find. Thanks for sharing

[@mikeh8129]

The Great Oak trail takes you to The Great Oak, which is also visible from St Peters road.

[@dscobellusa]

It's been windy here too so pretty uncomfortable for hiking. Seeing the ruins and the fox without having to freeze was neat.

[@lindamccaughey6669]

You may not have found the furnace but you certainly did find lots. What a beautiful area that was, so lovely to see. Thanks so much for taking me along. Please stay safe and take care

[@marygarner5249]

Greetings love your adventures that was cool 😁😁

[@mlank8768]

It was nice not to see any trash in those various huts

[@TimeForNature1]

Those buildings/shelters reminded me of the adventure you took some of your students on to build survival shelters in the woods with just the material they could find.

[@pagodaracingmountpennreadi8915]

Furnace trail points directly to Hopewell Furnace but terminates at Hill Camp Rd. The area between Hill Camp and Saint Peters Rds is private property with no trail right of way that I'm aware of. (I'll check it out this week and up date.) ¾ mile SSE of Furnace Trail and Hill Camp Rd, there is an unmarked access to FCSP on St Peters Rd. There is also a very small unimproved parking area. It is on a bend in the road. If you blink you will miss it. From this parking area you walk a short distance up Bear Mountain and pick up Buzzards Trail to the furnace.

[@tommyc9659]

Maybe surprise harvesters moonshine wow good stuff thanks

[@rando42069]

Welcome to Chester County!

[@benhunter793]

This looks incredible! Love your videos

[@shawnatkinson4448]

Great find but man I'm cold just watching you.

[@rebel3891]

Oh, I love this place and was thinking I needed to tell you about it so you could check it out. Trails feel more remote than they actually are and it's often people-free. Hiking is very rocky, def need proper foot-wear. Not too far from here French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust recently purchased land surrounding the Warwick Furnace and they have tried to fix it up. You could never see any of the ruins from the road but you can now and park there. They have info boards and a walking trail. Neat place to add to your furnace vidoes.

[@PaHeadhunter]

Cool. My grandfather’s uncles farm kinda bordered this place, but that would’ve been long before there was a park there.

[@AlexPletcherPhoto]

Great!

[@tommyc9659]

Very interesting

[@tomtransport]

Thanks for the trip Cliff, almost bed time so I'll finish this trip on the big screen upstairs.

[@stevealexander6515]

Man your face is red cold. More power to you in this kind of weather. It would be sabbatical time for me. Charge on brother.

[@andrewbarlow8937]

Looks like an old boy scout camp

[@willmorrisusa]

Hey Uncle Cliff ! Aren't U somethin ! Slugging it out w/ 'Old Man Winter' & 'Father Time' , yapping along the way & your eyes playing tricks on U the 2nd time w/ the fox(es) ! 😊👊👍

[@phillyflicks]

The charcoal from that land was taken to Hopewell Furnace a few miles away.

[@pagodaracingmountpennreadi8915]

I like to walk my dogs here. Coventry woods is located between our house and Hopewell Furnace, 7 miles distant. The origional home owner was the book keeper at Hopewell. Hauling a light material, such as charcoal, the short distance from North Coventry to Hopewell would have been easy.

[@thepawanderer]

cool

[@glennjudd2467]

How are you doing cliff ? Very interesting find ! Hoping no more snow here !

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Waiting for Spring...

[@glennjudd2467]

@@thewanderingwoodsman7227 no spring In Washington ! But it's been a crazy winter !

[@glennjudd2467]

@@thewanderingwoodsman7227 when are we going camping again ?

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Not for another month at least.

[@glennjudd2467]

@@thewanderingwoodsman7227 great !

[@danaatticks6452]

I think the girls would like to explore here!!

[@carolb29]

what are those bushes that still have green leaves on them?

[@cheriemakowski9606]

Rhodendrons

[@cheriemakowski9606]

RHODODENDRONS geez l really need to use spellchecker

[@salgal861]

One of the trail signs was named Camp Fernbrook pointing toward the direction of those little buildings. Could that mean that was the name of that place?

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

It's possible

[@R32R38]

They don't look particularly old.

[@sallybartholomew8470]

Not too cold not enough clothes. Do you carry a personal locator d3vice?

[@mehchocolate1257]

Do you use Randonautica to find these places

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Nope

[@mehchocolate1257]

@@thewanderingwoodsman7227 so how do you find these places anyway

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

I just go out hiking and exploring.

[@mehchocolate1257]

@@thewanderingwoodsman7227 would you use Randonautica though

[@wsmith4020]

Did you learn anything interesting about this area after the fact?

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Not yet

[@johnmefford4455]

Can you do a video on Groundhog Day?