In the park the other day with my son when he asked if we could walk to the swings through the forest.

So I was just wondering…

What’s the difference between a wood and a forest?

And when does a copse become a wood?

A quick straw poll amongst friends says size matters, though whether this is number of trees or area covered is less clear.

I’ve tried searching online to find an answer and so far only found this (useful) entry on Wikipedia:

A forest has a more or less closed canopy, in which the branches and foliage of trees meet or interlock. A woodland has an open canopy, which allows some sunlight to penetrate between the trees.

If anyone has any thoughts, ideas or answers it would be great to know.