Shropshire Magazine

In a root-and-branch investigation, Mark Sisson tracks down some remarkable trees

The gnarled shapes of veteran trees can take on a certain beauty in unusual weather conditions such as heavy frosts

When the Lord of The Rings trilogy first arrived on the big screen, one of the most memorable sequences for me was the scene where the pursuing hobbit band are swept up by the ancient trees and taken under their wings (or should that be boughs?) before joining battle with them against Sauron.

Much has been written about the symbolisms and metaphors in Tolkein’s work, but recognising the role of trees as among the largest and longest-living organisms on the planet, and the fact that we take them for granted as such, was clearly part of their role in the tale.

Earlier this year The Woodland Trust, the national charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage, kicked off a five-year project to identify the sites of the veteran trees that exist around the country. Here in the UK, while we may have more than any other country in Northern Europe, we simply don’t know where they all are; so we can’t protect and manage them accordingly.

In an attempt to understand a little more about what constitutes a ‘veteran’ tree, and how we can recognise them and get involved with the project, I’ve met up with Shaun Burkey, conservation and community officer with Shropshire County Council, and the man with the lead responsibility in making the county’s own habitat action plan for veteran trees happen in the years to come.

Shaun is a bit of a self-confessed tree-nut, and has been heavily involved in a number of tree- and hedgerow-related projects in recent years, principally the Trees for a Living Landscape initiative supported by Leader+ and managed by the council.

“This programme was geared towards getting people to recognise the role that trees played in shaping their landscapes and providing habitats – just try to imagine what the view from your home or village might be without them, and just how much less wildlife there would also be,” says Shaun.

“We sought to get people to take greater ownership in ensuring their future, and we distributed over 12,000 trees and tagged hedgerow saplings on over 7,000 acres of land across the northern half of the county alone,” Shaun informs me as I meet him for a trip around the fields and pastures of the county around his Ellesmere base.

During the course of the programme the important role of veteran trees in the county came very much to the fore, and an initial estimate of over 300 such trees were identified, the oldest being over 700 years old.

“Veteran trees are essentially fat ones,” Shaun explains. “The girth of the main trunk is a clear indicator of just how old the tree is. If, for example, you have a tree of 6.8 metres girth, then the tree can be estimated as being around 515 or so years old – and a sapling when Henry VII was on the throne!”

Discovered

A good example for Shaun to use, this, as the Spout Oaks (a collection of three veteran oaks to be found on the boundary of a field near Coptiviney and which were discovered by volunteer tree warden Rob McBride as part of the project) are indeed of that age and size.

“What makes them all the more fascinating though,” Shaun explains, “is that when asking the local farmer about the history of the field he produced a leather map from the 18th century showing buildings and a well on the site, and also revealed local rumour that there may have been an ancient monastery on the site with links to the Knights Templar. Investigations evolved further when it was discovered that two ley lines intersect in this field, indicating further a potential ancient use, and there is also evidence of extensive medieval ridge-and-furrow activity in fields all around. These trees may not be able to tell us their tales directly, but their discovery is opening up potentially far greater discoveries in a location which was pretty much off the radar as far as county archaeologists were concerned.”

Much of the ancient woodland in the country was born of the royal hunting forests introduced by William the Conqueror, and the presence of woodland and parkland in the homes and grounds of the gentry was a tradition that has followed on since those times. This is almost certainly the reason behind the planting of some of the veteran oak trees in particular to be found at Chetwynd Deer Park, home of the Newport Show, and part of the Chetwynd estate that is referred to in William’s other major work – the Domesday Book. A visit to Chetwynd with park warden Fred Fallows reveals some seriously large specimens. “We undertake a regular programme of surveying the trees in the park and showground area,” he explains, before pulling out his tape measure to demonstrate just how large the oldest is, standing proud at the top of the escarpment that overlooks the park. “This one is believed to be around 400 or so years old, and this mixture of ancient oaks and beeches is one of the reasons we are on English Heritage’s register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.”

Some have described veteran trees as our green monuments, and although they may be turning to a more autumnal hue now, they play a key role in providing the link between our natural history and cultural evolution, and yet enjoy no hard and fast enforceable legislation to ensure their protection in the way that man-made monuments of a similar age may do. That is all the more reason then to ensure that the full extent and variety is fully understood. Just as Tolkein painted a picture of trees playing a role in helping the fight against over-

development and industrialisation, so this will provide the opportunity for the communities where they exist to be able to recognise them and celebrate them accordingly.

If you’d like to find out more about veteran trees, visit the Woodland Trust’s project-specific website www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk. If you want to report a possible veteran tree local to you in Shropshire contact Shaun Burkey (01691 624448) or Ian Dormer (01588 674083) for the north and south of the county respectively.

Park warden Fred Fallows gets to grips with the size and age of Chetwynd Deer Park’s veteran trees.