Sitting in the dappled shade of the ancient oak tree, admiring views of Somerset’s patchwork pastures and rolling hills, I wondered how many others, in years gone by, might also have come to rest here. I had come on a quest to find the Publow Oak. This wonderfully gnarled and knotted tree is not only one of Somerset’s oldest but, at approximately 700 years old, one of the UK’s most ancient oaks. Objective achieved, I paused for a moment in its majestic company and enjoyed watching swallows swooping and diving in the long grass around me.
I had discovered the existence of the Publow Oak using the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI). This online directory records the UK’s oldest and most important trees and marks them on an interactive map. Categorised as either ancient, veteran, or notable, dependent on their age, species, and history, trees are listed on the map with a specific location, measurements, and other noteworthy features. According to the Woodland Trust, the UK is unique in its rich ancient tree heritage. Thanks to a cultural history of royal hunting forests and medieval deer parks, we have an abundance of historic trees, unlike any other country. Recording these trees through the ATI offers additional care and protection, as well as allowing the public to visit and enjoy their gentle beauty. Somerset has its own large and diverse network of trees listed in the inventory. From oaks to ash, yews to poplars these trees are symbols of the county’s cultural heritage and tradition. Many have stories and folktales attached to them, passed down through the generations by local communities. The trees play a critical role in Somerset’s ecological wealth too, providing homes and shelter for thousands of species including fungi, invertebrates, birds, mammals, and plants.
Oak trees have a particularly special place in British cultural and folk history and have been celebrated by local people across the centuries. Somerset has many very ancient and special oaks. This includes the Publow Oak (tree id 4484), close to the small village of Publow in the Chew Valley. Measuring at an incredible 10 meters around its trunk, it is one of the largest in the UK. It’s said that couples once married under the branches of this beautiful, antiquated tree and it has been a place of story-telling for many generations. Now, under the care of local charity, ‘Avon Needs Trees’, the Publow Oak will soon be surrounded by acres of new woodland, currently being planted by volunteers for the charity, though it will be given plenty of its own space.
Across the valley in the small village of Regil, I visit a slightly younger oak standing solitary in a sloping meadow of wild flowers. This tree is marked as a ‘veteran tree’ on the ATI (tree id 256121). Unlike ancient trees which are in their third, and final stage of life, a veteran tree is in its second, mature stage of life; for an oak this is roughly 150-300 years old. This doesn’t make it any less important or interesting to admire however, and the oak before me is cherished by the Regil community. Known locally as ‘The Magic Tree’, with a hollowed trunk and visible roots stretching over 6 meters in diameter, children have visited this tree for many years, searching for treats hidden inside. Local resident Hannah Atkinson grew up in the village and fondly remembers childhood Easter egg hunts to the tree; ‘as a child, the tree felt magical and we used to love hiding inside,’ she said. ‘Now, I bring my children here and it’s a joy to see their same sense of wonder. It’s very special to us all.’
Ancient trees often go hand in hand with local myths and legends. In Goblin Combe, a gnarled oak is known locally as the home of the Goblin King (tree id unknown). With a hollow trunk so wide it can fit two children inside, wily parents have been known to warn their exuberant offspring that the Goblin King will gobble them up if they misbehave. In Glastonbury, two ancient and much cherished oaks known as Gog (tree id 28784) and Magog (tree id 28798) are believed to have been part of an ancient ceremonial avenue leading to the Glastonbury Tor. Having reached a great age, estimated at over 2,000 years, Gog is now sadly dead but Magog lives on, albeit close to the end of her life.
The age of most ancient oaks is little compared to Britian’s oldest living trees, yews, which often pre-exist the churchyards they inhabit. Somerset has some particularly spectacular yew trees including the Ashbrittle Yew, one of the ‘star trees’ on the ATI (tree id 3737). With so many fantastic ancient trees across the UK, The Woodland Trust has recognised a handful of particularly spectacular trees and labelled them ‘star trees’. The Ashbrittle yew was awarded this special recognition as it is thought to be over 3,000 years old and is one of (if not the) oldest yew in Britain. Growing on a tumulus in the south-east end of the churchyard of St. John the Baptist, it’s a wonderful sight to see. Over the centuries, the tree has hollowed and split and is now a circle of seven trunks measuring a total of 12 metres in diameter. Standing back to admire its enormity, I feel humbled to think that this magnificent tree has watched the passing of humanity since the Iron Age. Another beautiful veteran yew grows on the border between Somerset and Wiltshire in the churchyard of All Saints in Tellisford (tree id 204631). It’s believed that this tree was planted in response to a statute of King Edward 1 (1272-1307) which ordered the planting of yews, so that his archers might have a supply of wood for their bows.
Trees have been used for the benefit of humans for centuries. Many of Somerset’s oldest trees have been pollarded, an ancient form of pruning which encourages the new growth of branches. These would then be harvested and used for a variety of purposes such as fuel, building materials and basketry. Often, the practice of pollarding has long since ceased and the trees have been left to grow with a distinctive, multi-branch shape. Ash was particularly popular for making tools and handles and consequently, there are many ancient ash pollards to admire across Somerset. At Wild Things Farm in Pensford, three giant ash trees sit along the river bank (tree id 179810). When I visit them in early spring, the buds on the branch tips are ready to burst open with leaves. The land around them has recently been transformed into a wetland habitat by local charity Bristol and Avon Rivers Trust, and the ash trees are blossoming in their new surround.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for all of the UK’s ash trees, many of which are succumbing to the fatal ash dieback epidemic. We can only hope that some of our ancient ash trees will defy the disease and live on to be enjoyed by future generations. As with all life, death is inevitable and some of the ancient trees on the ATI have perished and are now marked as ‘lost’. Visiting a woodland in Bruton, I was sad to discover that a well-known giant of an ash tree (tree id 6295) had succumbed to a storm (some years previously by the looks of it). Though the site of a fallen tree always carries some regret, it was heart-warming to see the dead wood teaming with life; insect holes, bird nests, and the distinctive tracks of a badger on the ground around it.
The ATI celebrates the diversity of Somerset’s ancient and notable trees. Also represented on the inventory are a towering sequoia in Chew Magna (tree id 241445); a London Plane that was saved from felling at the hands of property developers in Frome town centre (ATI 139580); the infamous Dunster Douglas, the UK’s tallest tree (tree id 48020); an orchard of ancient apple trees (tree id 11332); and a beautiful alder on the banks of Mells stream in the village of Great Elm (tree id 209699).
Whilst there has been a great deal of focus in recent years on the planting of new trees to help combat climate change and halt the dreadful pace of bio-diversity loss in the UK, our ancient trees have received less attention. By creating the Ancient Tree Inventory, the Woodland Trust hopes to change this, encouraging an awareness and appreciation for our oldest trees and helping to protect and preserve them. If you are aware of an ancient tree not yet recorded on the ATI, the Woodland Trust encourages you to list it; the process is simple and fast (details can be found on the Woodland Trust website). Ultimately, it is only through a shared knowledge and admiration of these ancient sentinels that we can help to preserve them for future generations, because trees have a special way of capturing our hearts. In the words of Robert Louis Stevenson; 'It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit' (1875-6)
Explore Somerset's ancient trees
Find the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory at ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
The trees in this article can be searched for using their ATI tree ID number.
Top ancient trees to visit in Somerset
- Domesday Oak, Ashton Court (tree id 43692). In 2002, this 700-year-old oak tree in Ashton Court Estate was selected by The Tree Council as one of 50 Great British Trees.
- Publow Oak, Publow (tree id 4484). Beautiful, ancient oak tree which will be a centre piece of the newly planted Great Avon Wood.
- Ashbrittle Yew, Ashbrittle (tree id 3737). Over 3,000 years old, this is one of the UK’s oldest trees.
- Dunster Douglas, Dunster (tree id 48020). Walk the Tall Trees Trail, enjoying the surrounding forest and visit the Dunster Douglas, reputedly the tallest tree in the UK.
- Wild Things Farm Ash trees, Pensford (tree id 179810). Three beautiful ash tree pollards in a newly created wetland.
- Horner Wood ancient trees walk, Horner Woods (multiple tree ids including 124775). Follow this National Trust trail to see multiple ancient oak pollards, including one that is over 500 years old.
