Perthshire school children join the Woodland Trust to plant a new wood to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar
Hundreds of local Perthshire school children will join the Woodland Trust (1) on Cloan Estate near Auchterarder, Perthshire, to plant thousands of native trees, creating the 25-acre Pickle Wood – one of 33 ‘Trafalgar Woods’ throughout the UK. The wood will be named after HMS Pickle (2), one of the warships of the Trafalgar fleet, which was captained by a Scot, John Richard Lapenotiere (3).
Event: Local school children planting the new ‘Pickle Trafalgar Wood’
Venue: Cloan Estate near Auchterarder, Perthshire
When: Between 11.30am and 2.30pm – Tues 15 / Wed 16 November 2005
Pickle wood will be planted on Cloan Estate owned by the Haldane family, who are direct descendents of Admiral Adam Duncan – a famous Naval hero from Dundee and Lord Nelson’s naval compatriot. Admiral Duncan married a Haldane and a portrait of his wife still hangs in Cloan House. Pickle Wood will be made up of about 85 per cent Scots pine and native broadleaved species, including oak.
Scotland has a strong maritime past and contributed significantly to the Battle of Trafalgar. Five of the 27 Captains of the fleet’s warships were Scottish. In addition, Scotland’s industry contributed through timber products, sails from Baxter’s of Dundee, iron cannons from Falkirk and, most importantly, crewmembers, with almost 30% of the 18,000-strong crew hailing from Scottish towns and fishing villages. Nelson’s Doctor and the woman who embalmed his body when he died were Scottish. In addition, children as young as 10 years old served as crew during the Battle – the youngest being a cabin boy from Leith, Edinburgh.
Trees played a vital role in the Battle of Trafalgar. The fleet of 27 warships contained timber from around 50,000 oaks, representing roughly two million years of oak tree growth. Nelson himself acknowledged the importance of trees to the success of the British Navy and, in 1803, wrote to Parliament calling for more trees to be planted to safeguard ship building timber supplies.
Andrew Fairbairn, Development Manager for the Woodland Trust Scotland, said: “Our aim is to highlight the important role timber played in British Naval history. We want to get people thinking about just how pivotal timber was then, and remains today – not only to the navy but also in everyday life. Scotland’s trees are as important now as they were 200 years ago, and we can all do our bit to protect them, and to plant new ones.”
Some 39 local men and boys from Perthshire served alongside Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. A searchable crew database can be found at the Woodland Trust’s Tree For All website at: www.treeforall.org.uk/trafalgar/crewlist
The Trafalgar Woods Project is part of the Tree for All campaign, the largest children’s tree planting initiative Scotland has ever seen. The campaign’s vision is that every child should have the chance to plant trees. Two million trees will be planted across Scotland over the next five years as part of the campaign – two for every child under the age of 16.
Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (4).
Media Contacts:
Andrew Fairbairn, Development Manager, Woodland Trust Scotland:
Tel: 01764 662554, Mob: 07770 482939, E-mail: andrewfairbairn@woodland-trust.org.uk
Stan Blackley, Portable PR
Tel: 08700 742449, Mob: 07770 742449, E-mail: stan@portablepr.com
Notes to Editors:
1. The Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. Established in 1972, the organisation now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland. Today the Trust owns 80 sites across Scotland covering 8,100 hectares. Further news can be accessed at: www.woodland-trust.org.uk
2. HMS Pickle
HMS Pickle was built privately in Bermuda and purchased for the Royal Navy in 1800. She served in the fleet as a despatch vessel and was never expected to take part in a fleet battle. For this reason, she was attached to the frigates that kept watch on the French and Spanish fleets before the Battle of Trafalgar. HMS Pickle was stationed to windward of the British line until required to assist in rescuing survivors, principally those from the French Achille. HMS Pickle rescued 50 of French crew from the sea, including one woman. She had concealed herself aboard the Achille but her identity became known when she was forced to strip off her clothes and jump into the sea. She and the other prisoners were transferred to HMS Revenge, which took them to Gibraltar, where she rejoining her husband who had been picked up by another British ship. HMS Pickle was later wrecked off Cadiz.
3. Captain John Richard Lapenotiere
HMS Pickle was captained by John Richard Lapenotiere. He was the son of a naval officer born at Ilfracombe, Somerset in 1770, and had served on expeditions to the South Seas, the West Indies and Mediterranean. He was promoted to Commander for his services at the Battle of Trafalgar, and became a Captain in 1815. He died in 1834.
4. Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation's heritage for everyone to enjoy. We have supported more than 15,000 projects, allocating over £3 billion across the UK.
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From the press office of Portable PR
On behalf of the Woodland Trust Scotland
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