Ancient trees play key part in marking Queen’s Jubilee
Three ancient trees and two woodlands in Sussex have been dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee – and Winnie the Pooh would be delighted to learn his home is among them.
The remarkable trees at Cowdray Park, Midhurst; Tilgate; and Preston Park, Brighton are among 70 across the UK selected to mark her 70 years.
Historic records reveal that the Queen Elizabeth I Oak at Cowdray Park Estate sheltered Queen Elizabeth I.
She rested and took lunch under the Oak in 1591 during a hunting trip to Cowdray Estate deer park. One of the largest and oldest sessile oak trees in the UK, this oak is still living and is estimated to be around 1,000 years old.
It forms part of the Cowdray Estate Deer Park, which combined with the neighbouring arboretum and benbow pond make it a popular attraction for Midhurst locals and tourists, with stunning views of the South Downs.
The Preston Twin Elm, Preston Park, Brighton has also been awarded the highest accolade.
Until as recently as 2019, the ancient elm at Preston Park was one of a pair. Brighton proudly boasted two of the largest and oldest English elms in the world.
Each of the ‘Preston Twins’ were thought to be around 400 years old. Despite efforts to preserve both, one of the twins was felled to protect the other after contracting Dutch Elm Disease.
The Tilgate Hawthorn at Tilgate is an amazing example of an ancient hawthorn. Retained during the 1960s despite development in the area, the trunk of the tree is hollow and split as if cleaved by a giant. It is rare to find a tree like this in an urban setting.
In addition, 70 woodlands have also been highlighted. In Sussex these include:Ebernoe Common in West Sussex is a mixture of ancient semi-natural woodland and ancient wood-pasture, with associated new wood-pasture development.
Alongside all the incredible veteran trees and ancient glades full of flowers and ant hills, the reserve has many interesting cultural features including a 16th century furnace pond, associated with early iron production in Sussex and an 18th century brick kiln with many small clay pits.
Five Hundred Acre Wood at Crowborough, East Sussex, is most famously known for its connection with A.A Milne’s series of children’s stories about Christopher Robin and Winniethe-Pooh where it became ‘100 Aker Wood’.
The woodland borders the Ashdown Forest, an ancient area of open heathland, formerly used as a hunting ground for nobility.
On Sunday May 1, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Patron of The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), unveiled the nationwide network of 70 ancient trees and woodlands to be dedicated to Her Majesty in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.
To mark the launch, The Prince of Wales recorded a video message under one of the ancient tree dedications – the old Sycamore at Dumfries House in Scotland.
His Royal Highness said: “Trees and woodlands have a profound significance for us all – their steadfast and reassuring presence a reminder of our long serving Sovereign and her enduring dedication.
“Let us ensure that in her name we can now protect and strengthen this wonderful living Canopy for the next seventy years and, hopefully, way beyond. And, above all, let us ensure that future generations can celebrate and enjoy them.”