rfssssSjtfSfc Forestry Commission Champion Trees in the British Isles Alan F. Mitchell, Victoria E. Schilling and John E.J. White Forestry Commission Technical Paper 7 ARCHIVE BROADLEAVES Scientific name H eight Diam eter Date Location, county or vice-county (m) (cm) E. urnigera 38 X 110 1989 Mount Usher, Co. Wicklow 26 X 123 1986 Stonefield, Strathclyde Region E. vernicosa 31 X 57 1994 Kilmun Arboretum, Strathclyde Region E. viminalis 36 X 131 1989 Mount Usher, Co. Wicklow Eucommia ulmoides 16 X 56 1991 Kew RBG, Surrey Eucryphia billardarii - X 28 1992 Arduaine, Strathclyde Region E. cordifolia 21 X 61+31 1993 Castle Kennedy, Dumfries and Galloway 21 X 42 1993 Logan House, Dumfries and Galloway E. glutinosa 13 X 27+26 1992 Arduaine, Strathclyde Region E. x intermedia (at 0.3 m) 17 X 66 1989 Penrhyn Castle, Gwynedd E. hicida 13 X 23 1984 Glendurgan, Cornwall E. moorei 18 X 36 1987 Trewithen, Cornwall E. x nymansensis 'Nymansay' 23 X 33+ 1987 Birkhill, Tayside Region 14 X 61 1987 Holmbush, Sussex Euonymus bungeanus (at 0.3 m) 8.5 X 27 1981 Edinburgh RBG, Lothian Region E. eauropaeus 6 X 16 1987 Ramster, Surrey E. hamiltonianus 8 X 18 1987 Birr Castle, Co. Offaly E. lucidits (*) 18 X 47+31 1989 Tregothan, Cornwall 12 X 51 1989 Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow E. semi-sextus 6 X 12 1991 Knightshayes, Devon E. tingens 12 X 39 1988 Brodick Castle, Strathclyde Regie Fagu$ crenata 21 X 64 1986 Dawyck, Borders Region F. engleriana 20 X 51 1986 Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire F. grandiflora (at 1 m) 19 X 69 1989 Eastnor Castle, Hereford and Worcester 24 BROADLEAVES Scientific name Height Diam eter Date Location, county or vice-county (m) (cm) F. lucida 11 X 28 1981 Thorp Perrow, Yorkshire F. orientalis 27 X 57 1987 Birr Castle, Co. Offaly F. sieboldii 22 X 69 1992 Dawyck, Borders Region F. sylvatica 46 X 151 1986 Hallyburton House, Tayside Region 40 X 217 1990 Tullynally Castle, Co. Westmeath F. sylvatica 'Albovariagata' 28 X 99 1980 Melbury, Dorset 21 X 115 1985 Rossdu, Strathclyde Region F. sylvatica 'Aspleniifolia' 34 X 127 1990 Busbridge Lakes, Surrey 21 X 146 1993 Tortworth, Gloucestershire F. sylvatica 'Cristata' 25 X 93 1987 Wray Castle, Cumbria 18 X 103 1984 Yair House, Borders Region F. sylvatica 'Dawyck' (at 0.3 m) 29 X 86 1992 Dawyck, Borders Region 28 X 82 1992 Tortworth Court, Gloucestershire F. sylvatica 'Dawyck Gold' (at 1.0 m) 10 X 24 1993 Hillier Arboretum, Hampshire 6 X 18 1989 Marwood, Devon F. sylvatica 'Dawyck Purple' 12 X 18 1993 Hillier Arboretum, Hampshire F. sylvatica 'Grandidentata' 19 X 50 1991 Hillier Arboretum, Hampshire F. sylvatica f. latifolia 32 X 138 1989 Wakehurst Place, Sussex F. sylvatica 'Luteovariegata' 25 X 105 1991 Buxted Park, Sussex 22 X 113 1988 Highnam Court, Gloucestershire F. sylvatica 'Pendula' 32 X 100 1984 Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries 29 X 161 1993 Endsleigh, Devon F. sylvatica f. purpurea 38 X 103 1986 Dalguise House, Tayside Region 21 X 193 1990 Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire 25 FORESTRY COMMISSION TECHNICAL PAPER 7 Champion Trees in the British Isles Alan F. Mitchell, Victoria E. Schilling and John E.J. White FORESTRY COMMISSION, EDINBURGH i © Crown copyright 1994 First published 1985 as Research and Development Paper 138 Second edition 1987 Third edition as Field Book 10 1990 Fourth edition 1994 ISBN 0 85538 322 4 ODC 522.2:(410) KEYWORDS: Broadleaves, Conifers, Mensuration Enquiries relating to this publication should be addressed to: The Research Publications Officer The Forestry Authority, Research Division Alice Holt Lodge Wrecclesham, Farnham Surrey GU10 4LH CONTENTS Page The authors iv Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 Listing methods 1 Selecting trees for measurement 1 Measurements 1 Key to the text 2 Conversion Table 1 3 Conversion Table 2 4 Champion trees in the British Isles: Broadleaves 5 Champion trees in the British Isles: Conifers 67 The authors The late Alan Mitchell, an internationally acclaimed dendrologist, retired from Forestry Commission service on 31st December 1984 after a distinguished career at the Forest Research Station, Alice Holt Lodge in Surrey. With Victoria Schilling, he founded the Tree Register of the British Isles (TROBI) which is a Registered Charity. Victoria Schilling has maintained the TROBI register of tree measurements since the foundation of the Charity and co-ordinates the work of an increasing number of volun­ teer dendrologists. John White, who retired in 1997, was the Forestry Commission's Research dendrologist based at Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS, UK. Tree Register Enquiries Enquiries concerning TROBI should be made c/o Mrs Pamela Stevenson, 77A Hall End, Wootton, Bedfordshire, MK43 9HP. Acknowledgements In order to keep this publication and the Tree Register up to date the authors depend upon, and are grateful for, advice from readers about the condition of existing trees and information about potential new champions. iv Introduction There are estimated to be approximately tree could not be made at the standard point on the 200 million ornamental trees in the British Isles, stem. of which up to 200 000 are of dendrological sig­ nificance. Many of these are of particular interest In this new edition species and varieties have been to landowners, local authorities and the general included down to a considerable degree of rarity, public. There are over 300 tree collections of reflecting an increased public interest in the perfor­ national importance and in addition significant mance of less frequently seen trees. There are trees also occur singly or in small groups in innu­ some 843 new entries and 574 updated figures merable parks and gardens. since the 1990 edition. The total numbers listed are 1065 species (263 conifers and 802 broadleaves) Measurements of exceptional trees have been with 495 cultivars and varieties. The total number recorded for a considerable number of years: of entries is now 2118. initially out of curiosity, especially about maxi­ mum size, and then to investigate the potential Selecting trees for measurement for growth and productivity according to species and situation. The Forestry Commission tree Tree measurement is an absorbing and valuable register provided all the measurements for early occupation. Its value lies in the fact that measure­ editions of this title. The register was begun in ments often survive after the actual trees 1952 as a survey to locate trees of outstanding size, themselves have been lost from either natural or vigour and quality for use as prospective unnatural causes. However, it would be impos­ material for plantation tree breeding experiments. sible to measure every tree and in consequence Very large ancient, ornamental and obscure priorities have been formulated according to the specimens were added to the register after 1954. vulnerability of the tree or the usefulness of the Historical information, particularly from the begin­ data. The best trees to measure are as follows: ning of the 20th century, was subsequently researched and extant trees were located and • Trees of known planting date previously remeasured. This work continues today, supple­ measured over a long period. mented increasingly since 1985 with routine tree measurements recorded by The Tree Register of • Old and venerable specimens which probably the British Isles which is a charitable trust. A represent the ultimate size appropriate to the nation-wide network of local enthusiasts working local site conditions. on tree measurements in their own areas has been built up and increasingly their measurements will • Trees exhibiting good growth, horticultural or become part of the register. genetic value, disease or exposure resistance. • Any tree which occurs in a unique location or Listing methods context and so provides a contribution to the landscape, including remnant native vegeta­ Listing is alphabetical by genus and species. tion, and trees which form part of an historic Unfortunately space does not permit the inclusion landscape, park, garden or urban planting. of common names. Where a species is represented in the list by a single entry this is both the tallest • Rare or locally distributed taxa for which little and the stoutest specimen known. Many taxa are data exist already. represented by two entries, i.e. the tallest and then the stoutest. The second entry is not usually the Measurements second tallest tree in existence. Occasionally three entries occur. In these cases there might be more All measurements are metric: height (in metres, m) than one specimen with equally large dimensions, is listed first and diameter (in centimetres, cm) is or measurement of what is clearly a champion then recorded. 1 Height Key to the text Height is recorded most accurately using a pre­ cision instrument such as a clinometer or hypsometer while standing at a measured distance BG = Botanic Garden from the base of the tree. Measurements must be to the top most branch vertically above the centre RBG = Royal Botanic Garden of the main stem. When the tip of the tree is not = clearly visible several measurements from dif­ UBG University Botanic Garden ferent sides should be taken as a check. This is = often the case when a tree has a spreading crown RHS Royal Horticultural Society such as many broadleaved trees in full leaf, and it is not possible to go far enough back to see the top V. = variety most branches. Very occasionally, where trees = are leaning badly or even 'reclining', the actual f. forma length from the stump to the end of what was once the top most branch is measured and this nv. = nothovar action is recorded. Recent storms and remedial lopping have caused the heights of some trees to subsp. = subspecies be reduced in this edition. See Conversion Table 1. 'Name' = cultivar Diam eter (Name) = commonly used synonym Diameter is actually derived from the measure­ ment of girth, as this is the single parameter which (*) = tree forked at the base or sums the infinite number of diameters in an otherwise deformed irregular stem cross-section.