Beech woodland in hoarfrost, Cranborne Chase, Dorset, England
Beech woodland in hoarfrost, Cranborne Chase, Dorset, England (© Guy Edwardes/Minden Pictures)
Beech forest covered in hoarfrost
If this looks to you like the setting of a fairy tale, you're not alone. England's Cranborne Chase has long inspired writers and painters, and it's been designated a national protected area because of its natural beauty. It may be especially beautiful in winter, when the trees and shrubs can be coated with hoarfrost, an uncommon type of frost that forms when water vapor turns directly into ice, skipping the liquid stage.
© Guy Edwardes/Minden Pictures