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One of the largest ancient trees at Croft Castle |
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Each month we turn our focus upon a different
county, highlighting some key ancient tree sites and identifying some other
places of general interest for tree-lovers. Other than Woodland Trust
properties, admission or parking charges apply for many sites, and as access
may be limited to certain dates or times, it’s always advisable to check
with the site owner or with the local Tourist Information Office before
making a visit.
This month we visit Herefordshire in England, a relatively unspoilt
rural county nestling at the foot of the Malverns and alongside the Welsh
borders. It’s often overlooked by the tourist, perhaps the reason that it’s
kept so much of its natural charm and rural history! This county has much to
offer the visitor, however, with historic towns and villages and some quite
breathtaking countryside.
The county city of Hereford is famed for the Mappa Mundi and the Chained
Library in its cathedral, and it has a wealth of museums on a wide variety
of subjects. Hay on Wye in the Welsh Marches is the town for second-hand
books, whilst Leominster, with its historic priory church, is better known
for antiques. The so-called Black and White villages provide another
interesting, rather quaint feature to the region, whilst the market town of
Ross on Wye, sitting high on a sandstone cliff in the south of the county,
is always worth a visit.
It’s the natural beauty of Herefordshire, however, which makes it so
special. The gorges of Symonds Yat in the south are popular with tourists,
but there’s much more to savour. With views to the Malvern Hills, the Black
Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, and with the gloriously flowing landscape
of the Golden Valley, this area boasts some fine growing country. This is
best illustrated by the hundreds of hay and straw lorries, which trundle
around the country lanes, and by the plentiful apple orchards seemingly
around every corner. There’s also the relatively unusual sight of English
vineyards, plus an abundance of hops and sloes, so locally produced cider,
wine, beer and gin are readily available! Additionally, you’ll find a quite
remarkable number of wonderfully vibrant gardens from every era and in every
style imaginable. Many are open to the public, some under the National
Garden Scheme. It’s perhaps no surprise therefore that the fertile red
sandstone soil of Herefordshire is home to some of England’s most beautiful
treescapes.
The National Trust provides three sites of great interest. Firstly, set in
Capability Brown designed parkland is Berrington Hall (SO510637), a
Henry Holland house located just to the north of Leominster, with sweeping
views across to the Brecon Beacons. With fine ancient oak specimens, the
parkland is a designated SSSI, and consequently the park walk is only open
from July to October. Secondly, there’s nearby Croft Castle
(SO455655). The parkland here again delivers superb views, and the castle
itself underwent a major refurbishment in 2002. In addition to some 200 plus
magnificent oaks, this site also boasts delightful avenues of sweet
chestnuts and noteworthy beeches. The National Trust is gradually thinning
Douglas fir trees to benefit the ancient oak trees on the site, and it’s
trying out other methods to help those trees in extreme shade or showing
signs of stress. On the adjoining Bircher Common, there are ancient ash
pollards, together with oaks, field maples and black poplars. Thirdly,
there’s The Weir (SO435421), a riverside garden just to the west of
Hereford, with views over the River Wye to the Black Mountains. The Parr
family created the garden on steep, south-facing slopes following a bend in
the river. These slopes are clad with ancient beech trees, and there are
other trees of general interest including London Plane and willows.
The small rural village of Moccas, north west of Hereford toward Hay and
close to the Welsh border and the Black Mountains, was a monastic settlement
back in the 5th century. Evidence of its long history can be found at the
12th century church, and at the medieval Moccas Deer Park, part of
the Chester-Master Estate and one of the most important sites of surviving
woodland pasture in the country. Reference to the park, which is still home
to a herd of deer, is made in Reverend Francis Kilvert’s famous works.
Managed by English Nature and designated a National Nature Reserve, there
are over 1,700 veteran trees here, including beech, sessile oak,
pendunculate oak, sweet chestnut and horse chestnut. More than 500 ancient
trees stand in the grassland of the Lower Park, whilst the densely wooded
slopes of the Upper Park boast over 1,000 specimens. All of the trees are
tagged and numbered. The park is designated a SSSI, not just due to its
superb trees but also due to its historical value and rare insect life, and
an English Heritage Grade 2* Scheduled Park of Special Historical Interest.
Please note that access to this site is strictly by permit only.
Hampton Court Gardens (SO5252) in the grounds of a fortified medieval
manor house, south of Leominster at Hope under Dinmore, are well worth a
visit, not just to take in the vast expanse of this incredible garden
creation but also for the fine trees which stand here, including ancient
oaks.
Besides the castle and the family attractions, which include a tree trail,
Eastnor Castle near Ledbury (SO7437) has gardens, an arboretum and
grounds with woodland and lakeside walks. The site’s best known for its vast
conifers, which is remarkable considering the prevailing alkaline soil, but
ancient oaks and hawthorns are also noteworthy. The Deer Park on the western
slopes of the Malvern Hills is designated a SSSI within an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is part of the Hervey Bathurst Estate.
Kington, located in the Welsh Marches, is home to Hergest Croft. The
gardens and arboreta extend over 50 acres, with the Azalea Garden dominated
by a massive avenue of cedars and a National Collection of birches. To find
the ancient oaks, however, you will need to walk a kilometre or so across
the park from the main garden to Park Wood.
If you enjoy visiting the sites of large trees, two Herefordshire churches -
Cusop Church near Hay on Wye and Linton Church near Ross on
Wye – are blessed with Yews of some stature.
Brobury House, a Victorian country gentleman’s residence, is located at
Bredwardine Bridge, to the north-west of Hereford, in Kilvert country. It’s
set in 8 acres of gardens, with breathtaking views over the Wye Valley and
many fine mature trees.
The Woodland Trust also has a number of properties in Herefordshire, which
merit a visit. With the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Severn
Waste Services, it’s recently acquired Credenhill Park Wood, located
north of Hereford (SO450445) and accessed via Credenhill Picnic Site. Sadly,
in more recent times this historic hillfort, part of which is designated
Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland, has been used as a site for intensive
forestry, so conifers prevail in much of the wood. The Trust plans, however,
to carry out improvement works which will not only enhance the woodland but
also the experience for visitors too. Another hilltop wood listed in the
Nature Conservancy Council Inventory of Ancient Woodland is located on the
outskirts of Hay on Wye at Cusop. It’s well worth the invigorating climb up
the fields overlooking Cusop Stud to pay a visit to Mousecastle Wood
(SO246424) and take in the views over Hay and across the Welsh border into
Powys.
If you know of other ancient trees in Herefordshire or if you wish to
suggest a site for inclusion in next month’s article, Focus on Norfolk, we’d
love to hear from you! Please
email us
providing as much information as possible and preferably including an
Ordnance Survey map reference.
We’re also very keen to build up a library of photographs of ancient trees
and ancient tree sites. Can you help? If you’re willing to share your
treescapes and tree portraits, please
email them
to us, remembering to provide location details for each photo, with an
Ordnance Survey map reference if possible. We’d love to include them in a
future article! |
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