A riverside path is a fine classroom. The water keeps the air damp, the soil rich, and the trees generous. You don't need a field guide in your pocket to start; a few minutes of looking closely will do. Here's how to recognise four of our most common riverside trees by leaf, bark and silhouette.

Start with the silhouette

Before you get close, look at the overall shape. On a riverside path, trees often lean towards the light and the water. Oaks are broad and heavy, with a dome that looks like it's been sat on by generations of rooks. Ash is tall and slender, with a springy, upward reach and a crown that often looks a bit sparse in winter. Beech is dense and rounded, with a fine tracery of twigs that holds a haze of leaves late into autumn. Hazel is rarely a tall tree; it's a multi-stemmed shrub that forms thickets along the bank, often coppiced. That first glance narrows things down.

The oak: rugged king of the bank

Oaks are the anchors of a riverside walk. Look for deep, irregular lobes on the leaves — no pointy tips, just rounded fingers. In spring the leaves are a soft pinkish-green, turning leathery and dark by summer. The bark on an old oak is deeply fissured, like a dry riverbed in miniature, and often clothed in moss on the damp side. The silhouette is unmistakable: heavy limbs, a broad crown, and a trunk that may lean out over the water. If you see acorns in autumn, you have confirmation. On a riverside path, oaks often mark the older, drier banks — the spots that haven't flooded for a century.

The ash: slender and springy

Ash is a tree of the water-meadow. Its leaves are pinnate — that is, made up of paired leaflets along a central stem, with a single leaflet at the end. They're often the last to appear in spring and the first to fall in autumn. The bark is smooth and grey on young trees, cracking into diamond-shaped ridges with age. In winter, look for the distinctive black buds, like tiny velvet cones, set opposite each other on the twig. Ash often grows with a slight curve, as if leaning away from the wind. On a riverside path, you'll find it on the lower slopes, where the soil is deep and damp. Sadly, ash dieback is now common, so you may see dead tops and sparse crowns — a reminder to enjoy these trees while we can.

The beech: smooth and stately

Beech is less common right on the water's edge, preferring well-drained slopes above the flood line. But on a riverside path that climbs a little, you'll often meet it. The leaves are oval, with a wavy edge and a silky fringe when young. They turn a rich copper in autumn and can hang on the tree well into winter. The bark is the giveaway: smooth, pale grey, like an elephant's skin, often with a green tinge of algae. The silhouette is dense and rounded, with a fine network of twigs that catches the light. Beech roots are shallow, so you'll often see them gripping the bank, holding soil together.

The hazel: the understorey shrub

Hazel is the one you can almost miss. It rarely grows as a single tall tree; instead, it's a multi-stemmed shrub that forms thickets. The leaves are round and soft, with a pointed tip and a hairy underside. In late winter and early spring, look for lambs' tails — the yellow catkins that dangle from the bare twigs. The nuts, when they appear in autumn, are set in leafy husks. Hazel is often coppiced, meaning it's cut to the ground every few years to produce straight poles for hedging and hurdles. On a riverside path, you'll find it in the dappled shade, often with bluebells in spring.

A few practical tips for your stroll

You don't need to be a botanist. Here's what to do:

• Carry a small notebook or use your phone to photograph leaves, bark and the whole tree. A picture of the leaf alone is often not enough.
• Look up and down. Bark at eye level is useful, but the base of the trunk and the canopy shape tell you more.
• Use your hands. Oak leaves are leathery; beech leaves are silky; ash leaflets are thin and come away easily; hazel leaves are soft and downy.
• Note the setting. Oak on the dry bank, ash in the damp hollow, beech on the slope, hazel in the undergrowth.
• Go slow. A riverside path is not a race. The best identifications come from standing still for a few minutes.

With practice, you'll start to read the riverbank like a familiar street. The oak will nod to you, the ash will bend, the beech will stand sentinel, and the hazel will offer its nuts. All from a short stroll beside the water.