Trees - Our Botanicultural Heritage

[Frank]

this is a really good thread. Have you any more pictures like that?? keep them coming. I often see mature or veteran trees that I would love to have been able to see 100-200 years ago. Imagining if the had similar shape traits etc.

 

More. More.

[Jason James Gairn]

Very interesting thread, esp with old photos. So all the present trees in the picture are less than 130 years old? Is that sand in the old pics?

Great pictures of the canopy work too. Nice one Mr. the Dave.

[DrewB]

Brilliant thread monkeyd

[David Humphries]

So all the present trees in the picture are less than 130 years old? Is that sand in the old pics?

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The immeadiate area of these Trees is called Sandy Heath.

Like most of the Heath it was grazed until 50/60 years ago, so what you can now see in the recent pictures is predominantly Oak and Birch secondary woodland.

 

There are a small number of older Oaks and Beech littered through the wood, which are as old as the Two Trees on the hill, but as you say the majority are under 130.

 

Here's one of Constables Oils of the Heath, looking out toward Harrow, which is about 10 miles away.

Also an aerial photo of the Heath and Kenwood.

Although this one is looking toward the City of London, comparing the two, gives you an understanding of the how the land has changed.

 

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[David Humphries]

These Planes are not Veterans Yet by any stretch of the imagination, but we owe a great debt to our Victorian planners and plantsmen.

The Towns and Cities of this green and pleasant land would not feel nearly as verdant or shady without their forsight.

 

Got one of these to reduce later this year, to help aleviate a heavy lean.

 

Southend Green, Hampstead, North London.

 

 

Postcard image curtesy of Michael Hammerstine

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[Marc]

Great thread monkeyd, I always get a little awestruck when working with veteran trees, i just can't get my head round something that has lived for hundreds of years without our help, you know something that has outlived generation of my family then i come along with a rope, saw and good intentions.

Still it is rewarding working on old trees, they are under a lot of pressure as we encroach on their enviroment, anything we can do to preserve them is worthwhile. Hope you understand what i mean.

 

And the last picture of the Planes is amazing, we owe a lot to the victorian plantsmen and planners, do you think we still plant on such a scale? The plantsmen who planted those trees did it for us and our children as they would never of lived long enough to see them mature.

[David Humphries]

By no means the biggest or most venerable in the UK, but this is possibly the oldest living thing in London,

and as it's on my door step, thought I would share.

 

The Totteridge Yew - St Andrew's Church, Totteridge Lane

The Church has been here since 1250.

 

Trees for cities has it listed as "probably well over 500 years old", but whilst there, I spoke with the Vicar to garner a bit of indepth local history and he then went on to explain that Kew had been contacted 30 years ago.

Post inspection, the Tree had some of the soil around the roots freed, some of the withering branches were cut and they then poured some hardening material (see last Photo) into its centre to stop it drying out.

 

The Vicar also told me, he has a certificate signed by Prof David Bellamy of the Conservation Foundation stating that the tree is 2000 years old.

 

What ever the age, It's mightily impressive.

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Inspired by Pommie and Rich's Zelkova nod, plus whilst awaitng Cappocino refreshment, I got to thinking of this Zelkova at the Hyde Park, which then got me thinking of this Weeping Beech which has this great little J M Barrie connection.

 

"Well, Peter Pan got out by the window, which had no bars. Standing on the ledge he could see trees far away, which were doubtless the Kensington Gardens, and the moment he saw them he entirely forgot that he was now a little boy in a nightgown, and away he flew, right over the houses to the Gardens. It is wonderful that he could fly without wings, but the place itched tremendously, and—and—perhaps we could all fly if we were as dead-confident-sure of our capacity to do it as was bold Peter Pan that evening.

 

He alighted gaily on the open sward, between the Baby’s Palace and the Serpentine, and the first thing he did was to lie on his back and kick. He was quite unaware already that he had ever been human, and thought he was a bird, even in appearance, just the same as in his early days, and when he tried to catch a fly he did not understand that the reason he missed it was because he had attempted to seize it with his hand, which, of course, a bird never does. He saw, however, that it must be past Lock-out Time, for there were a good many fairies about, all too busy to notice him; they were getting breakfast ready, milking their cows, drawing water, and so on, and the sight of the water-pails made him thirsty, so he flew over to the Round Pond to have a drink. He stooped and dipped his beak in the pond; he thought it was his beak, but, of course, it was only his nose, and therefore, very little water came up, and that not so refreshing as usual, so next he tried a puddle, and he fell flop into it. When a real bird falls in flop, he spreads out his feathers and pecks them dry, but Peter could not remember what was the thing to do, and he decided rather sulkily to go to sleep on the weeping-beech in the Baby Walk."

 

So her's the Zelkova and Beech, which are both on the Royal Parks Tree Dediication Scheme.

It may not look it, but the graffiti on the Beech's trunk actually adds to the ambience of the site once you get under the Cannopy.

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[Bart]

Awesome thread Monkeyd, great pictures and text. Very interesting:001_smile:

[Giles Hill]

With all that soil erosion, those two oaks look like they were about to die in the 1880's - reducing soil levels by that amount just dosen't work if you apply BS5837!

 

The surface level seems to have risen a fair bit since then - or am I not looking at the pics properly? Amazing they can survive with the ground levels going up and down around their base - I guess they adapt if the process is not too rapid.