Standing the test of time

In February, my wife and I attended the ‘blessing’ of an ancient yew tree in Farringdon, Hampshire. The bishop of Basingstoke did the honours, not as an act of veneration of the tree itself but thanksgiving for all who had worked so hard to raise funds to support – literally and figuratively – this remarkable tree.

Other work has been done and a display installed in and outside the church to tell visitors exactly what they are looking at – a tree 2,000+ years old. It is part of Hampshire’s heritage and the benefice recognise their responsibility, which is all the more important since another of their yews in the churchyard of Gilbert White’s Selborne, just three miles away, blew down and was lost in the great storm of 1987.

These ‘keepers of time’, to use the Forestry Commission’s apt expression, are recognised for their cultural value and part of what today is called ‘natural capital’. And all owners of woodland, large or small, will own some natural capital. But what is the priority accorded such fine monuments of nature?

We readily seek to plant more trees and expand our tree cover for reasons of carbon sequestration, growing timber that is so much needed, environmental and wildlife benefits and much more, but we mustn’t neglect caring for what we already have. It bears repeating from previous Woodland Owner articles that we are blessed with having more ancient forest trees than the rest of Europe.

Consider Windsor Great Park, Blenheim, Moccas, and countless wood pastures where oaks of upwards of 500 years still survive. But their health is not too encour- aging with oak processionary moth infestation expanding out of SW London, acute oak decline (AOD) appearing in many places, while the National Nature Reserve of Moccas Park appears to be losing trees which have lasted half a millennium.

Much research is being done to tackle the problems of our geriatric trees – of course trees aren’t immortal – but are we seeing too many suffer too quickly in these changing times of climate, pollution, pest and disease burden, soil compaction etc?

Do you own or care for a venerable tree? Cherish it, and perhaps in this coronation year for King Charles III name it to show it’s valued and appreciated.