KNOWLE'S HERITAGE OF TREES
by Stella Jarman
Text and photos by Stella Jarman
Foreward We should treasure our rich variety and wonderful heritage of trees – for their beauty, the life they give so many organisms, insects and birds and for their cleansing of the air we breathe. Our historic, rare and unusual trees are disappearing all too rapidly in this age of development. Climate Change is already noticeable, whilst the introduction of new diseases via foreign nursery stock and imported timber is a serious threat to many of our natural tree species, such as oak, ash, birch, chestnut and alder: elm was decimated as long ago as the 1970s. We must also treasure and protect our wonderful heritage of trees from mindless vandalism and needless felling - they harbour countless precious organisms - insects, birds and butterflies, and they absorb vast quantities of toxic traffic fumes, helping carbon reduction. We hope you will enjoy this illustrated local tree trail with your children who will be the decision makers of tomorrow. This tree walk would not have been published without the help and encouragement of Elaine Warner of the Local History Society and my daughter Jilly Jarman. Stella Jarman Tree Warden April 2014
The Walk Begins At Knowle Green Bus Shelter 1. Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea).Ornamental variety.
This splendid mature tree stands centrally on the large grass island, planted in the 1960’s when the Toilets were built. It was saved (with the two later Prunus trees) in the last traffic re-configuration. 2. Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). Non-native from S.E. Europe in 1616.
It stands behind the railings of timber-framed Milverton House. Timber mainly for fuel, conkers for games! Bleeding canker (a black tarry fissure) – leaf miner and a fungal rust that browns the leaves. Note - A very tall and rare Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus allisima) (from China to Europe 1751) stood next to the Chestnut, and was thought to be an ash until recognised by Mrs. Peggy Pontifex. Sadly it blew down in the 1990’s narrowly missing the timbered gables of Milverton House.
Red Lion Car-park. 3.
False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) From USA 1601
Three trees stand behind the old wall of the former Wool Shop, later the Card Shop and now Smood Cafe. Fragrant flowers attractive to bees hang in long white racemes. Note - the disused Bowling Green to the rear, with its trees, hedges, and two badger sets, was cleared early 2014 for the planned Waitrose store. Five adjacent bungalows will be relocated.
4a. Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea)
4b. Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Both opposite in Red Lion hedgerow, planted by Dr. Bower when Chair of Knowle Society. The centre hedgerow would disappear under an extended Waitrose car park.
High Street/Wilsons Road Corner
5. Austrian (black) Pine (Pinus nigra) Native to Central Europe (see photo No.2)
A very dark tree with paired green twisted leaves
6a. False Acacia. (Robinia pseudo acacia) In Berrow Homes garden opposite Church. This is a 50-year old sucker of the original very old Acacia, felled in 1978 after dropping a branch across the High Street wall of the Homes. 6b. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Beech-like, but with very serrated, narrower leaves. Nutlets in winged clusters. Hardwood – improves poor soils. Planted by the Womens Institute in 1978 to replace the Acacia. Note – Hornbeam was the last tree species to enter from the continent before the dry 'English Channel' filled with meltwaters from the last Ice Age. 6c. Common Lime (Tilia vulgaris) Hybrid of Small/Large leaved lime
It drips honeydew onto parked cars! Another Acacia-replacement in the corner by Solihull Council.
Kenilworth Road 7. Scots Pine (2) (Pinus Sylvestris) Britain's only native pine
Still wild in Scottish Cairngorms. Orange bark in upper trunk and flatter top differentiate it from Austrian Pine. On the far left towards Kixley Lane opposite Wilsons Road. 8. Wellingtonia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) To 5000 years plus – but at risk in California A hugely tall tree to the right in the Manor House garden.
Guildhouse By The Bus Stop 9. Common Lime (Tilia vulgaris)
Two were planted in front of the Guildhouse by Mr. Brierley when he opened a Post Office there in 1880s. Only one survives.
The Churchyard (south side) 10. Atlas Cedar (C.Atlantica) From Atlas Mtns. N. Africa
An ancient glory of the churchyard – but is it? A 1912 photo shows it as a young tree at the restoration of the Guildhouse by Mr. Jackson of Springfield House. It has twice lost a huge branch to storms.
11. Indian bean. (Catalpa bignoniodes) From S.E. USA to Europe 1726
11b. Yew (see 12) (Taxus baccata) One of the oldest in the churchyard
Can live beyond 5000 years. Sacred to pagan worship but retained behind walls in later Saxon graveyards on the Pagan sites to safegaurd cattle from its poisonous leaves. The Indian Bean has erect pannicles of white flowers. Thin seed pods over 40cm long hang throughout winter. Two trees lost for the Garden of Rest.
12. Walnut (Juglans regia) From SE Europe, possibly 15C
By boundary wall with Paterson Court. Leaves similar to Ash but end leaflet very broad and buds brown, not black as Ash. Long hot summers needed for ripening. Often 'thrashed' in orchards to aid this.
The Churchyard (north side) 13. King George V Oak. (Quercus robur)
The most famous tree in the Churchyard, thiis magnificent Oak was grown from an acorn handed to former Vicar, Canon Downing by the future King George V whom he met by chance in Windsor Great Park just prior to the King's coronation in 1911. (Its Centenary 2011 was sadly missed). Of three very old Silver Birch nearby, one blew down in 2010 while two were later felled as being too close to the great Oak which had several dead branches, since removed.
14. Irish Yew (Taxus fastigiate)
A rare upright form of Common Yew near the the middle car-park entrance, planted by Bishop Gore when the lower field was added to the churchyard in the 1920s. There are many other small trees in the churchyard, including a tall Laburnam close to the footpath, and several Firs.
Guild House (rear)/Parish Office/St John's Hall 15. Ash on mound. (Fraxinus excelsior)
This tall tree survived from an old hedge boundary to the Curate's garden (also containing a lovely Strawberry tree remembered by Betty Norris, wife of the late Verger Joe Norris). All lost when St John's Hall was built c.2000. Note - The Mound was first planted up by Anne Hewitt and maintained since 2002 by Stella Jarman. The Ash has weakened over the years and was felled and the mound flattened early 2014 for later paving.
16. There are many other tree species in the lower rear Churchyard including the lovely flowering Cherries (shown on front cover), Birch, laburnum and Conifers (by rear boundary).
17. Horse Chestnut. (Aesculus hippocastanum)
On rear churchyard boundary next to the Weeping Willow - its leaves showing the typical galls and brown rust which are not fatal.
Greswolde Car Park 18. Hawthorn (Crataegus Monogyna)
Very old, leaning out over the car park just before the waste bins. The Common Hawthorn has only one seed in each berry – the Midland (woodland) Hawthorn has two seeds and leaves cut less than halfway. Flowers late Spring after the similarly white-flowering Blackthorn.
Knowle Library 19. Copper Beech . (Fagus sylvatica) In the central courtyard.
This replaced a Weeping Willow found to be undermining the Library extension.
Return to Greswolde Rear Car Park
This small private car park to the left is now built up with McCartney Stone flats. All the trees and hedging boundary up to Hampton Rd have been removed including, despite protestation, this ancient landmark
20. Deodar Cedar. (Cedrus deodaci). Circum. 16' 8� from Himalayas.
Conical instead of flat-topped, as is Cedar of Lebanon. It had a drooping main shoot and longer needles with barrel-shaped cones. It was a feature in the garden of former Doctor's Surgery at the end of High St. Felled Oct 2013. 21. Poplar. (Populus Richardii)
Hugely spreading, with with unusual yellow leaves. Also felled.
23. Destruction of wall and hedgerow at building site from Hampton Rd.
High Street/Crossroads 24. Copper Beech. (Fagus sylvatica)
A great early Victorian landmark at the crossroads corner of the Wilsons Arms. Left stranded on a small, high island following roadworks it died within two years. Felled 1988.
25. Horse Chestnut. (Aesculus hippocastanum)
On corner of Warwick Road/Lodge Road by the old signpost. Threatened by a possible new junction but saved after the Consultant accepted Stella Jarman's plea of it being a traffic calming device on this dangerous corner. 26. Horse Chestnut. (Aesculus hippocastanum)
On old Warwick Road bank opposite the Surgery. This attractive, widespread stumpy tree, its top lost to vandals, was planted by the late Dr. Ronald Bower.
On old Warwick Road bank opposite the Surgery. This attractive, widespread stumpy tree, its top lost to vandals, was planted by the late Dr. Ronald Bower. Note - The woodland between Old Warwick Road and Warwick Road is the remnant boundary of The Lodge, former home of the Bower family, demolished in 1938 for the proposed Newton Road estate, built after the Second World War. The Lodge is now accepted as the former medieval dwelling of Mr. Purnell, who gave his name to Purnells Brook (see 1816 Enclosure Map for field names). The woodland was cut back for road widening (where Professor Shotton found a Mammoth Tooth!) 27. Old Elms
Trees lost to Dutch Elm disease continually regenerate from healthy suckers. These are in turn attacked by the Elm Bark Beetle after 20 years, but themselves produce more suckers to continue the cycle.
Walk Through The Precinct This was built in the 1960s after the beautiful medieval Dell Farm, together with cottages along High Street without mains water, were demolished to make way for retail development. Dr. Bower founded the Knowle Society in 1963 to protect surviving cottages and old buildings.
Now look right over the Sorting Office, downhill to the flatlets' rear car park for a view of Knowle's oldest tree. 28. Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Majestic, unpruned, width 17' 9�
It has survived hundreds of years unpruned and appears in a Victorian photo of the old Dell Farm. (see Library - Knowle Society records)
29. English Oak (Quercus Robur) Tall, lopped to one side
On the green in front of flatlets, it formed the beginning of the old hedgeline across to the Scout Hut.
30. English Oak
On the green in front of the Sorting Office is a second old Oak from the same hedgeline together with a replacement sapling for a third felled Oak
Look left across Tesco car park to Janito's corner Restaurant 31. Turner’s Oak (Quercus x Turnerii) pseudo Turnerii, evergreen
Very rare. Possibly planted by Dr. Ronald Bower and authenticated by him in a note to Stella Jarman. Now, standing by Tesco car park look across the road to the grassed corner area with Council corner seat and Silver Lime tree.
32. Common Walnut. (Juglans regia)
Celebrating the 25 th Anniversary of Knowle Society. Species chosen by Stella Jarman, Chair of the Nature Conservation Sub-committee, and planted by Dr. Ronald Bower, Chair of the Society. Now a majestic tree, it first flowered at the Millennium, but its walnuts are harvested by squirrels! Note - This Walnut was threatened by car-park expansion in 2005, and again by the first Waitrose application in 2010. The final application leaves it as a pruned lollipop above a sea of cars. 33. All the hedging and most of the trees (40 out of 60) within the 2011 Waitrose application may disappear for car-parking, including the two Red Horse Chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum rubra) in the small car park on the east side of the Village Hall.
34. Red Horse Chestnuts (Aesculus x carnea) Two, mature
One in each corner but both condemned for extended car parking.
Walk Round to St. John’s Close Green 35. Entrance to the Green.
Now grown into a lovely peaceful woodland, the Green is a gem in the heart of Knowle.
Planted up in the 1960s when Tesco and the St.John’s Close flats were built. Its allotments with topsoil were transferred to the old marl pit below the tennis courts belonging to Burton's Dairy Farm - itself now under St. Lawrence Close. Many trees have been replaced due to early vandalism. 36. Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) USA
A fast growing Maple in the centre of the Green – heavily pruned after severe storm damage in early 2000. 37. Pin Oak. (Quercus palustris) USA
Several specimens nearby, its leaves more deeply lobed than the more common Red Oak with smaller acorns in shallow cups.
38. Lombardy Poplar (Populis nigra italica) Very tall and narrow Relic of former garden boundary of the Bower House in Station Road.
39. Cherries (Prunus sp)
Many other species including Silver Birch, Ash, Whitebeam, Sycamore. Look to the right-hand corner of the Green.
40. Queen Elizabeth Oak (Quircus robur)
A sapling Oak to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. Planted 17 th December 2012 by Stella Jarman for the Knowle Society.
Walk Round to St. John’s Close Green Return to Knowle Green Bus Stop via St.John's Way and Station Road End of Tree Walk Part 1
I hope you have enjoyed this walk, the trees – and some history too!
Stella Jarman Stella is currently part of the Solihull Tree Warden Group with responsibility for the Knowle area. She retired from Knowle Society in 2004, where she was Chair of the Nature Conservation Committee for thirty years, setting up and maintaining the nature reserve alongside Purnell's Brook. From 1974 to 1996 Stella designed and presented Knowle Society's stand at the Biennial Solihull Conservation Fair and has been a Trustee of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. She belonged to CPRE having recorded over thirty hedgerows around Knowle for their National Hedgerow Survey. She has also initiated and taken part in many conservation projects including tree planting in community spaces, succesfully lobbying for a safe cycle route along the A41 and against inappropriate developments in Knowle and Dorridge. Stella's interest in nature conservation was sparked by her and John's involvement in West Midlands Conservation Corps when they moved to Knowle in 1958.