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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 prohibited or 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 turn our attention to Nottinghamshire, famed
for Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest but otherwise possibly best known
for its industrial heritage. For lovers of trees, this is a truly
wonderful county, some parts offering an unrivalled landscape of
woodland and heath.
The ancient oak woodland of Sherwood and the pine trees of modern
forestry plantations, together with green and open countryside,
contrast neatly with the mines and factory chimneys of a declining
age: to the west a history lesson in the heritage of our coalfields;
to the north-west the surviving woodland and heath of Sherwood
Forest; to the east rolling countryside speckled with riverside
villages and distinctive redbrick cottages; to the south-east the
Vale of Belvoir, canals and walking country; and to the south
farmland leading into rural Leicestershire.
Of course we’ve all heard of Robin Hood, folk hero of medieval
ballad and Hollywood blockbuster. Traditionally, he was an outlaw
who poached the king’s deer in the royal hunting forest of Sherwood
but also turned his hand to robbery, targeting corrupt county
officials and churchmen. Legend says he then gave to the poor from
his pickings. But was he really the swashbuckling, gentleman bandit
who became a symbol of hope for oppressed peasants? Or was he just
the creation of a medieval storyteller? Sadly, neither Nottingham’s
court records from The Middle Ages nor the ancient trees of Sherwood
tell the secrets of this “Prince of Thieves”!
The county city of Nottingham is also known for its grand civic
buildings and for lace. Mansfield, at the heart of Robin Hood
country, has one of the biggest open-air markets in the UK, whilst
Worksop is worth visiting just to see the ornate 14th century
gatehouse at its Norman Priory church. Between Mansfield and Worksop
lie the parks and forests of “The Dukeries”, the name given to the
great country estates established over two centuries by nobility,
using the profits gained from the Industrial Revolution. Retford, a
town in “Pilgrim Fathers Country”, boasts some fine Georgian
buildings, and Newark is of particular interest because of its
Georgian Town Hall, its cobbled market place and its medieval castle
ruins. Less well known but especially charming is Southwell, with
its honey-coloured, twin-towered Minster. Here you may spot the
faces of the Green Men amongst the Leaves of Southwell, some
exquisite medieval stone-carved foliage!
Interesting villages abound too: Blidworth churchyard may be Will
Scarlet’s last resting place; Maplebeck boasts one of the smallest
pubs in the UK; our tallest maypole on the other hand may well stand
in Wellow; Laxton is the last place in England to practise the
medieval open-field system of farming, settling disputes at the
annual Court Leet; and the British Horological Institute’s
collection of timepieces are in the hall at Upton.
So, Nottinghamshire is certainly interesting, but what of ancient
trees and terrific treescapes?
Robin Hood knew just where to go! Studies suggest that there’s been
unbroken woodland cover at Sherwood Forest (SK6267) for some
10,000 years – since the end of the last Ice Age in fact! A royal
forest used for hunting and timber down the centuries, today it’s
designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The country
park, comprising open grassland, heath, birch and oak woodland,
boasts a truly magnificent collection of ancient oaks, with over 900
trees in the park 600 years old or more. A combination of age and
the elements has resulted in some weird and wonderful shapes,
including "Stag Headed" trees, so-called because their bare top
branches seem antlered like the deer that once roamed here. Be
assured, the uncrowned king of this forest is not Robin Hood but the
mighty Major Oak, reputedly one of his hiding places and today one
of the largest and oldest oak trees in England. Possibly 800 years’
old, weighing around 23 tons, the girth of this remarkable tree is
some 33 feet and the spread of its branches is an incredible 92
feet. Props now support the branches, and a fence protects the soil
around the roots from visitors. Many of the ancient oaks are now
slowing decaying, but they support insects, including 1,500 beetle
species beetle and 200 types of spider.
The National Trust is responsible for a vast area of parkland and
woods in North Nottinghamshire called Clumber Park
(SK6257/SK6477). This estate was formerly home to the Dukes of
Newcastle and consists of around 3,800 acres of rolling farmland,
grassland, open heath, marsh and woodland in the area known as the
Dukeries. Whilst the house was demolished over 60 years ago, its
location is marked out near the serpentine lake, which covers some
87 acres. There’s plenty to see besides, including a wonderful 19th
century Gothic Revival Chapel, a splendid walled kitchen garden with
impressive glasshouses, and Europe’s longest double avenue of lime
trees, which dates from the 19th century and stretches an incredible
three miles! Several fine examples of ancient oak and beech trees
still survive on the estate.
If you’re visiting Nottingham, then be sure to visit Wollaton
Park (SK5339), on the outskirts of the city. Built in the late
16th century for Sir Francis Willoughby by Elizabethan architect,
Robert Smythson, the spectacular Tudor hall and grounds now house a
natural history museum, industrial museum and gallery. The shape of
the building with its high central hall and four towers epitomises
Smythson's taste for classical symmetry, whilst the Prospect Room
provides unrivalled views over the surrounding countryside. The
hall’s interior was remodelled by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville at the turn
of the 19th century, following the demise of Smythson's original
interior due to fire. Though the Elizabethan gardens have gone,
Wyatville's unique Camellia House remains, and the layout of the
formal flower garden has remained unchanged for over 120 years. Deer
have roamed the 500 acres of mature parkland for some 400 years, and
many splendid trees grace the slopes here, notably several ancient
oaks. Cedars stand proudly near the hall accompanied by holly, and
don’t miss the lime tree avenue heading out toward the city.
To the north near Newark, ancient oaks are also to be found on
another fine estate, Thoresby Park, which covers around 2,000
acres and encompasses a vast swathe of forest. Here amid the
woodland and deer park stands a vast, ornate house, home to Lord
Manvers. As well as some impressive oak trees, you’ll find some
wonderful specimens of beech, and keep an eye out for the Spanish
chestnut trees. The 65-acre lake extends into the woodland, which is
divided from the rest of the grounds by a sunken fence and by rows
of sturdy, towering trees. Some say it is here, in this
ever-changing but eerily tranquil woodland setting, that a storm
awoke the oaks and the beeches and thus pierced the daydreams of
Coningsby, who was making his way to Nottingham. What is certain is
that this forest estate used to be a favourite hunting ground for
both Norman kings and Saxon outlaws. Today, you’re more likely to
see 21st century families, enjoying the various mazes which twist
and turn across six acres of the parkland.
The Woodland Trust’s Oldmoor Wood (SK4942) near Nottingham is
listed as Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland by the Nature Conservancy
Council. There's some fine oak, beech and ash trees in this
relatively flat wood, known locally for its bluebells in May and for
the tall yews standing on the island at the centre of its small,
circular pond. Like many woods in this county, it forms part of the
Greenwood Community Forest. The Trust’s Hannah Park Wood (SK5977)
near Worksop is an almost triangular-shaped wood with huge mature
beech trees and several mature oak trees. This was originally part
of the Welbeck Estate at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest and
provides some superb, panoramic views across the surrounding
countryside.
Check out Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s ancient woodland sites,
many of which have SSSI status. The ancient coppiced woodland of
Sellers Wood (SK5245) near Bulwell is split into areas of oak,
birch and bracken or ash and wych elm. The wetland here is
particularly valuable, especially as it is bordered by some
botanically-rich grassland. Look out for giant bellflower and
twayblade. Harrison’s Plantation (SK5340) links Martin’s Pond
with Raleigh Pond in Wollaton, near Nottingham. It’s believed that
mixed broad-leaved woodland has existed here since the mid 18th
century. Referred to in the Domesday Book, Bunny Old Wood
(SK5728) is ancient coppiced wych elm woodland and is thought to
have been used for supplies of wood by Saxon settlers. Ancient
ditches are still visible along the edges, where wild crab apple and
cherry trees can be found. Dyscarr Wood (SK5886) is a
semi-natural wych elm and ash wood, located near Langold and
displaying several indicators of its ancient origins, for example
sweet woodruff, ramsons, yellow archangel and wood melick. BP
actually owns Dukes Wood (SK6760), due to the fact that this
woodland was part of the UK’s first onshore oilfield! As you walk
around the industrial/archaeological trail, you can see the nodding
donkeys (oil pumps to you and me!) which have been restored. Oak,
ash, hazel and birch dominate in this area of ancient and secondary
woodland, which provides cover for a variety of wildlife, including
the woodcock.
The Trust’s Kirton Wood (SK7068) - another wych elm and ash
wood - is an ancient woodland location, which was cleared and
replanted around 50 years ago, hence the bizarrely uniform height of
many of the trees here! Eaton Wood (SK7277) is pasture
woodland listed in the Domesday Book. Sunken ancient tracks and
areas of old ridge and furrow ploughing can be seen. Ash, elm and
hazel dominate, but the pine and beech planted by the Forestry
Commission 50 years ago are prominent too. Visit in spring or early
summer for bluebells, primroses and several species of orchid, and
watch for the deer! Across the road is Gamston Wood (SK7277),
an ancient parish wood noted in the Domesday Book. Ash, oak and
birch prevail in this old Forestry Commission site, parts of which
are still used to make charcoal. Look for goat willow, water avens,
corn mint and sanicle. If you’re really fortunate, a white admiral
might flutter by! The ancient origins of the Trust’s first
acquisition, Treswell Wood (SK7678), east of Retford, are
indicated by the presence of the speckled bush cricket and plants
like wood sorrel, herb paris and wood anemone. Local craftsmen still
use wood from here for furniture and charcoal, and this wood was the
county’s chosen site for a project in the mid-1990s to reintroduce
the dormouse.
Finally, here’s some other suggestions from this woodland-rich
county: Brierley Forest Park (SK4760) near Sutton-in
Ashfield, where 80,000 trees were planted in the 1990s; Thieves
Wood, once part of the Royal Wood of Lyndhurst, and Harlow
Wood (SK5556); Bestwood Country Park (SK5647) a royal
hunting estate near Nottingham owned once by Nell Gwynne; the
ancient oaks of Blidworth Woods (SK5954) at the heart of the
old Royal Forest of Sherwood; the vast Sherwood Pines Forest Park
(SK6164) near Mansfield; popular Rufford Country Park
(SK6465) with a former Cistercian abbey; and Boughton Brake
(SK6669) near Ollerton.
If you know of other ancient trees in Nottinghamshire or if you wish
to suggest a site for inclusion in next month’s article, Focus on
Leicestershire, 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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