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British National Trust Ancient Trees Survey Begins

22nd July 2009

A three year survey of more than 40,000 ancient trees, including Newton’s apple tree and the yew tree which overlooked the signing of the Magna Carta, will reveal the full extent and condition of the ancient trees cared for by the National Trust.

Ancient trees provide an extremely valuable habitat, hosting rare fungi, lichens and deadwood invertebrates, many of which are totally dependent on ancient trees for their survival.

Credit: Nick Pringle

By surveying these habitats and their locations, the Trust as the most important organisation for ancient trees in the UK, will be able to ensure that there are enough replacement ancient trees for the future.

As part of an ongoing three year partnership, Cadbury are supporting the National Trust in their maintenance of countryside sites. The research will be carried out by the National Trust’s newly appointed Ancient Tree Advisor and the records will also be added to the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt .

Ray Hawes, Head of Forestry at the National Trust, said: “Ancient trees can be thought of as the cathedrals of the natural world. This new survey will provides us with the opportunity to understand more about these special trees in our care and map their exact locations. Trees play such an important part in shaping our landscapes and reflecting our history that we need to make sure that the ancient trees in our care and the next generation to follow them can be enjoyed by everyone.”

With more than 25,000 hectares of woodland, 200,000 hectares of farmland and 135 landscape and deer parks, more than 40,000 ancient trees are expected to be included in the survey during the next three years.

Newton’s apple tree at Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire, the sycamore tree in Dorset where the Tolpuddle Martyrs met in the 1830s and the 2,000 year old Ankerwycke yew at Runnymede in Berkshire where the Magna Carta was sealed are three examples of the historic trees cared for by the Trust.

An ancient tree is one which is very old in comparison with other trees of the same species. There is no strict definition as to what age a tree must be to be considered ancient, but a 600 year old oak tree or 300 year old beech tree would qualify. Yew trees can live for several thousand years and oak and sweet chestnut for 1,000 years or more.

Brian Muelaner, the new National Trust Ancient Tree Advisor, added: “Standing next to an ancient tree that has lived through centuries of history can be a truly humbling experience. We want to champion these special trees and raise their profile within the landscapes that they can be found.”

The work of the new Ancient Tree Advisor and the survey of ancient trees on National Trust land has been made possible with the support of Cadbury.

Five iconic ancient trees on National Trust land:

The world famous Tolpuddle Martyrs' Tree at Tolpuddle in Dorset is the site of the landmark trade union meeting in 1834 that became a historic symbol of the struggles for the emerging labour movement. The tree was dated for the first time in 2005 by the National Trust. Using special dating techniques, it was possible to work out that the sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) is likely to have started its life in the 1680s, more than 150 years before the Tolpuddle Martyrs' meeting. The Tolpuddle Martyrs met here in an attempt to form one of the world's first trade unions, against a background of falling wages and harsh employment laws. The meeting led to their deportation, pardon and, ultimately, the foundation of the trade union movement. The tree and the village green is one of the smallest National Trust properties, though the tree is the largest sycamore in Dorset.

One of the most impressive trees in Northern Ireland is near the ruins of the old Crom Castle on the Crom Estate, Co Fermanagh. This huge ‘tree’ is actually two yews (Taxus baccata) thought to have been planted close together in the 17th century. By the 19th century they were described as being ‘an enormous green mushroom in contour’. Parties of 200 people are said to have dined beneath their branches, which at their peak measured about 23m (75ft) across.

The Ankerwycke Yew at Runnymede, Berkshire, is a 2,000 year old icon. It is said to have witnessed the oathing and sealing of the Magna Carta by King John in June 1215 and to be the location where Henry VIII met Anne Boleyn in the 1530s. This venerable yew (Taxus baccata) grows in the grounds of the ruined Priory of Ankerwycke and now measures an impressive 9.4m (31ft) wide.

The Borrowdale Yew at Borrowdale, Cumbria, is one of the four ancient yews (Taxus baccata) celebrated in Wordsworth’s 1803 poem, 'Yew Trees':
'But worthier still of note
Are those Fraternal Four of Borrowdale
Joined in one solemn and capacious grove
Huge trunks! and each particular trunk a growth
Of intertwisted fibres serpentine'

One of the four went down in a great storm in 1883, though the three others still survive. The Borrowdale Yew is female and boasts a large hollow that fits four people. Although it was damaged in a storm in 2005, the tree still thrives and has the potential to live for many more years.

Isaac Newton’s apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire, is one of the most historically important trees in Britain, a celebrated national treasure for over 300 years. It is believed to be the apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton in 1665 when the ‘notion of gravitation came to mind’ after he watched an apple fall. The tree, a rare variety Flower of Kent, fell over in 1820 but is still growing well having rooted where the trunk touched the ground.