The 2004 AGM address. Veteran trees in Essex
Pollarding trees was already an archaic practise and had virtually died out by the mid 19th century-
Miller Christy in his Birds of Essex (1890) wrote 'Fifty years ago, before scientific farming came
in, and before a cheap, abundant supply of coal was obtainable in Essex, numerous old pollarded
trees stood in the hedgerows in all parts of the county and afforded logs for the winter fires'.
'These were, I think' says Dr. Laver "invaluable to the farmers as they formed the retiring and
nesting places of numerous Owls'. Most of these pollards are now gone and with them have
disappeared the Owls.
Some ancient trees in farmland still have problems. Sometimes this occurs where a park has been
partially disparked and the land is now farmed but the old pollard trees have been allowed to
remain. The land has subsequently been ploughed right up to the trunks of the trees and 1 suspect
this ultimately damages their root-plates. I also suspect that herbicides and fungicides used on the
crop may eventually affect the trees and their mycorrhizal fungi. In a few instances livestock have
been known to debark veteran trees, as probably at Mundon Hall, destroying the field of pollard
trees there. Fire, as recently has affected the old Lime pollards on Wanstead Flats in Epping Forest,
can also damage and kill old trees. Some of the recent storms have taken a heavy toll on our by now
top-heavy old pollard trees and shallow rooted Beech is particularly prone. It has taken many years
for conservation organisations to learn how best to manage our ancient tree heritage and early
attempts were often unsuccessful. At Hatfield and Epping Forests, many early attempts at re-
pollarding failed and resulted in the death of the tree.
In the last twenty years or so there has been an almost dramatic revival of interest in our ancient
trees through such organisations as the Ancient Tree Forum, the Tree Council and English Nature.
I would also single out the Corporation of London as custodians of Epping Forest who have also
taken on the conservation management of our ancient trees and have made a major contribution to
our understanding of this issue.
Veteran trees however can occur almost anywhere. I have found a number of sizeable >23 ft (7m)
oaks in gardens, two of these are over 27ft (9m) in girth. Old orchards can also have sizeable fruit
trees, and although few of these will have a girth in excess of four feet they can still be counted as
veteran trees.
Ancient trees can also harbour a very distinctive saproxylic invertebrate fauna. Epping Forest is
internationally renowned for its rare beetles associated with its huge population of old pollard
trees. Surveying other sites such as Hatfield Forest and Weald Park has also produced some
outstanding records - e.g. the rare RDB2 click beetle Ampedus cardinalis with its distinctive red
elytra has recently been found at Weald.
Essex has some very fine 'champion' trees, one of my personal favourites is the huge 15ft. girth
(5m) Field Maple in Downham churchyard near Runwell.
Essex has an outstanding veteran tree population, especially its many huge ancient pollard Oaks.
As ever the ancient trees diminish in number for one reason or another year on year. How many
will be anonymously lost to the tidal wave of developments that threatens to engulf Essex in a sea
of concrete, how many will disappear between now and 2012 when Stansted airport is expanded?
Enjoy the society of these ancient trees while you can.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 21 (2004)
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