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Tree Forum on-line database. on-line Forum Tree importance. This is illustrated by the by illustrated is This importance.

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the AONB database and the Ancient Ancient the and database AONB the particular historic or ecological or historic particular

Future Veteran Trees on Ashampstead Common Ashampstead on Trees Veteran Future

alleys. Data will be added to both both to added be will Data alleys. or the local community or with or community local the or V f

the Pang, Kennet and and Kennet Pang, the f ut they will be trees with a significance a with trees be will they ut o b and a half miles. miles. half a and

monitored and guided by the Friends Friends the by guided and monitored not necessarily be ancient trees now, now, trees ancient be necessarily not of its park pale can be traced for three for traced be can pale park its of ensure a healthy life far into the future. the into far life healthy a ensure

Park in the 13th century and the remains the and century 13th the in Park working in their own localities and is and localities own their in working and a management plan adopted to adopted plan management a and need need Future the for Trees Veteran

It is being carried out by volunteers by out carried being is It Research indicates that it was a Deer a was it that indicates Research Each Future Veteran has been recorded been has Veteran Future Each

to birds and mammals. and birds to

Outstanding Natural Beauty. Natural Outstanding f o

of creatures from fungi and invertebrates and fungi from creatures of the the community. local to be visited. be to Veterans Future

North Wessex Downs Area Area Downs Wessex North by the the by

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The project is sponsored and funded funded and sponsored is project The

heir scars and rugged barks provide barks rugged and scars heir t dense network of public rights of way of rights public of network dense from drawn Committee Management

features they stand on. To add to this, to add To on. stand they features are available for future generations. future for available are continues. There is excellent access via a via access excellent is There continues. Commons a of co-operation the

give clues to the age of the landscape the of age the to clues give the list continues to grow as research as grow to continues list the with Ltd Estates by managed trees so that their stories and habitats and stories their that so trees

They can tell how the land was used and used was land the how tell can They and trees have so far been identified and identified been far so have trees and and owned is It Site. Heritage Woodland management and preservation of the of preservation and management

they provided for their communities. their for provided they and will be used to help with the with help to used be will and Almost 250 species of flowering plants flowering of species 250 Almost West a is and Natural Beauty Natural

of when they were planted and what and planted were they when of disturbance has provided a rich flora. rich a provided has disturbance Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding of Area Downs Wessex landowners and other interested people interested other and landowners

Its varied soils and lack of gr of lack and soils varied Its Nor lives, their of tales us tell can They The information will be supplied to supplied be will information The Ashampstead Common lies in the the in lies Common Ashampstead ound th

Ashampstead & Burnt Hill Commons Hill Burnt & Ashampstead to tell and experience to share to experience and tell to y stor a with ees tr e ar Veteran trees Veteran

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40 A3 Cars are parked on the Common at the owner’s risk.

North Wessex Downs Yattendon Estates Ltd Area of Outstanding Estate Office Natural Beauty Yattendon Denford Manor Thatcham RG18 0UY Veteran Trees for the Future RG17 0UN trees with a story to tell and experiences to share

The Friends of the Pang, Kennet & Lambourn Valleys m o c . c/o Pang, Kennet & Lambourn Valleys Countryside Project (FWAG) k u . e r e l c The Old Estate Office, Englefield Road, Theale, Berkshire RG7 5DZ . w w w

Tel/Fax: 0118 9305336 Email: [email protected] · Ashampstead and Burnt Hill Commons t n i r Website: www.pangandkennetvalleys.org.uk P & n g i s e

Pang, Kennet & Lambourn Valleys Countryside Project is a partnership funded and supported by: D e r e

Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, Council, Englefield Estate, Environment Agency, l English Nature and local Parish Councils. C (Yew on bank) This ancient yew is probably at least 500 years old. It is growing on the boundary 1 bank which kept the deer inside the 13th century deer park and therefore shows (Yew) 2 the age of the bank. The bank would originally have had a high wooden fence This old yew is at least 400 on the top. The internal ditch made it more difficult for the deer to jump out. years old and is growing on the park pale of the deer park extension*. It may have been part of a hedge on the top of (Beech in Beech Tree Glade) the bank or the park may have This elegant beech is about 150 years old and probably 4 been abandoned soon after became established during a period after the Napoleonic Wars the extension was made. when grazing by commoner’s cattle became less intense. (*see No.1)

(Ash) (Sweet Chestnut) 1 This gnarled sweet chestnut pollard is everyone’s idea of an 7 This ash is about 150 years ancient tree. It is at least 200 years old and may originally old and the level of its first been a low cut stub from which branches were harvested. branch shows that it grew in At some point a single stem may have been allowed to a dense coppice. The bank grow to form the present tree. and ditch alongside it are the boundary of a 15th century extension to the deer park. (Sweet Chestnut) A close neighbour of the above tree. Sweet Chestnuts provided durable fencing material and a valuable crop of edible nuts. This tree was probably established at about the same time as its neighbour and is at least 200 years old.

8 (The Climbing Tree) The Climbing Tree. Generations of Burnt Hill children have learned to climb on this tree. 2

6

(Wild Service) This is an example of a (Oak) 2 young tree being This tree provided fire wood by being designated as a Future lopped at regular intervals at a height Veteran. Wild service trees above the reach of cattle so that they are relatively rare in our area could not browse the shoots. and are recognised by English Nature as indicating (The Soldier’s Tree) that the woods in which 10 Because of its position in a deep quarry this they grow are Ancient sycamore has grown up – not out! It links us to Semi-natural Woodland. a soldier who camped in the woods at the end of World War II and who, in an idle moment, carved his name and the title of his unit in the 1 tree’s smooth bark. The carving reads ‘J.Ware (Pollard Beech) 14th Army Tank Batt Sept 21 1945’ N Beeches were pollarded to provide (Holly Stool) regular crops of timber and firewood. 3 Pollarding involves cutting off the stem This large clump of holly stems is a clone with all the stems growing from the same of a tree at about 10 feet (3.0m) above root system. Regular cutting for hundreds of years has developed this shape. Holly the surface so that the re-growth is above was cut in spring and stacked in ricks until the winter when it was fed to sheep and the reach of cattle. A cow or a deer will deer. Holly leaves are amongst the most nutritious of all tree foliage. In spite of the sharp points it is readily eaten by hungry animals. When the animals had eaten the walk a long way to graze fresh new tree 0 50 100 150 200 shoots! This tree is about 150 years old. leaves and the bark the dry sticks were sold for firewood. Nothing was wasted. distance in metres