28 June 2007
Find ancient treasure - in your own backyard!
New survey reveals three quarters of people in Wales and West region don’t know that Britain has more ancient trees than any other country in Northern Europe. The Hunt to find them is now on!
The race is on to find companions for the Pontfadog Oak, the Llangernyw Yew and the Talley Abbey Ash
Ancient treasure is waiting to be found across Wales, much of it even older than many of our cathedrals and castles. What is it? Ancient trees, which can live to be up to 5000 years old – some of the oldest living things on the planet. The UK has more of these treasures than any other country in Northern Europe, but amazingly we don’t know where they are! Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) is asking everyone to join the Ancient Tree Hunt, recording the trees they find and their stories online at www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk or www.helfacoedhynafol.org.uk Already out hunting are Clive Anderson, Bill Bryson, and Nell McAndrew, and Rupert Bear, who was drawn for many years by Alfred Bestall in his cottage in Beddgelert, is leading the Hunt for younger children. Local groups around the UK are also joining in.
Anyone from kids to adults can take part, by finding living history in their parks and gardens and helping the Woodland Trust to create the first interactive map of our ancient trees, as an important step towards safeguarding these very British treasures. It’s simple to do, too, you just find your tree and hug it! The fatter it is, the older.
A new Woodland Trust survey shows that ancient trees already have the support of the public. 95% of adults in Wales and West region say it is important to secure the future of ancient trees as we do for man-made ancient monuments. 75% do not know that the UK has the most ancient trees in Northern Europe, but 89% say it is important to identify where ancient trees are located. This support is very encouraging, because ancient trees are vital to our landscape, our history and our wildlife.
“We’re asking people to look out for and record trees which are particularly old, fat and gnarled” said Woodland Trust President, Clive Anderson, “so obviously I am just the person to get this message across. The sort of size we are after is a tree, perhaps an oak, which is so big that it would take you and at least two or more friends - to hug it all the way around, finger tip to finger tip. Perhaps you pass a great old tree every day, it probably has a great story. We’d love you to go online and tell us about it.”
Nell McAndrew, who is joining Rupert Bear in leading the hunt for old, fat trees for pre-school children, says: “You’ll find everything you need to become a tree hunter when you visit www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk Here you will find where to find ancient trees and how to measure them, as well as an opportunity to record your personal discoveries. Just follow the magic to the website, which contains activities just waiting to be discovered.“
Sue Holden, Chief Executive of the Woodland Trust, explains that “Different trees become ancient at different times, but an ancient oak is likely to be at least 400 years old. Many are much older, and yews can live for thousands of years. We think there may be half a million ancient treasures to be found.”
William the Conqueror is responsible for much of the amazing legacy of ancient trees that exist in the UK because of the Royal Hunting Forests he established after 1066. Old, fat trees are a direct link to our culture, history and heritage as the trees we see now may well have provided timber for significant events in history. Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory was built from over 6000 oaks. Welsh archers using yew (often taken from churchyard yews) and ash longbows helped Henry V win the battle of Agincourt.
Ancient trees are home to thousands of species of plants and animals, including many rare and threatened species that aren’t found anywhere else. As they get older, the trees develop holes, nooks and crannies and dead and rotting wood, perfect homes for lots of insects. Groups of ancient trees growing together are the most important of all as the variety of nooks and crannies they provide creates an amazing community of wildlife.
The Ancient Tree Hunt is a five-year project, led by Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) in partnership with the Ancient Tree Forum and the Tree Register of the British Isles. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action, Scottish Natural Heritage and supported by the Forestry Commission; and will be working with local partners across the UK. Joining the Hunt are the Tree Council, The Caravan Club, The National Trust, English Heritage, Forestry Commission and HM Prison Service, over 100 regional and local groups, and many landowners.
ends
For media enquiries contact:
Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 01766 832563 or 07760 171174
Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH Email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk
Or The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodland-trust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121
Notes for editors
Among the most notable of Wales’ ancient trees are:
The Pontfadog Oak, at Pontfadog near Chirk, Wrexham
Wales’ largest sessile oak, this tree has a girth of 42 feet 5 in (12.9m). It was such an icon in the landscape even 12th century that Owain Gwynedd rallied his army to it and went on to defeat Henry ll at the battle of Crogan a mile away.
The Llangernyw Yew, Llangernyw, Conwy
This ancient yew, in the churchyard of St Digain’s church, Llangernyw, Conwy, is believed to be over 3,000 years old, meaning that it would already have been a distinguished veteran when the Romans arrived in Wales. This tree is probably the oldest living thing in Wales.
The Talley Abbey Ash, Carmarthenshire
This giant of a tree is probably the oldest ash tree in Britain. It stands in a hedgerow within the grounds of the picturesque ruins of Talley Abbey, in the care of Cadw. So gnarled is the trunk that it is difficult to measure its girth, but this is probably around 36 feet (11m).
The Bettws Newydd Yew, Monmouthshire
There are three old yew trees in the churchyard of Bettws Newydd, but it is the largest which is the most notable. Like most yews of a great age, the tree is entirely hollow.
Visit www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk to
- Find an ancient tree near you
- Record an ancient tree or add stories and photos to the ancient tree blogs
- Follow the magic to the Rupert Bear Tree Hunting web area for young hunters
SNAPSHOT SURVEY RESULTS – what do people think of ancient trees?
Of a representative survey of more than 1,000 UK adults:
- 92% said it was important to secure the future of ancient trees as we do for man-made ancient monuments
- 87% said it was important to identify where there are ancient trees in our landscape
- 94% said that ancient trees were important for wildlife
- 93% said they were good for the environment
- 88% said they were part of our heritage
- 80% did not know that the UK has the most ancient trees in Northern Europe
The survey included breakdowns for regions of the UK, which are quoted in this release.
CELEBRITY SUPPORTERS:
BILL BRYSON
Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. He came to the UK in 1973, and has written for The Times and The Independent for many years, writing travel articles to supplement his income. He has been a supported of the Woodland Trust for three decades. Bill’s books include ‘The Lost Continent’, and ‘Notes from a Big Country’. His latest book is ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’. In December 2006, Bill Bryson was named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his contribution to literature.
CLIVE ANDERSON
Clive Anderson was born in Stanmore, Middlesex in 1952. After studying law at Cambridge University, where he was also President of the Footlights revue group, he practised as a barrister in London for about 15 years. He is a much loved face of British broadcasting, and in his role as President of the Woodland Trust he supports and publicises woodland projects throughout the UK.
NELL MCANDREW
Nell’s role – Chief lead Hunter with Rupert Bear for old fat ancient trees.
For an interview with, or photos of, Nell McAndrew and Rupert Bear tree hugging, contact Kat Taylor or Laura McTurk at Taylor Herring PR – 020 8206 5151 / laura.mcturk@taylorherring.com.
RUPERT BEAR
Rupert Bear is leading the hunt for old, fat trees with pre-school nurseries and their families. Identifying how many children’s ‘bear hugs’ it takes to encircle a tree trunk will indicate its age, the fatter the tree, the older it is. A keen conservationist, Rupert and friends have many magical adventures in their treehouse set within the oldest, fattest tree in Nutwood. Watch out for Rupert Bear on Five’s Milkshake everyday. Follow the magic to www.rupertbear.com to log your ‘Rupert bear hug’ and register for a pre-school nursery pack bursting full of Rupert nature trails and activities. Children are able to create their own adventures from Nutwood with a collection of toys available in toy shops from September.
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.coed-cadw.org.uk The Trust adopted its Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS
ANCIENT TREE FORUM
The Ancient Tree Forum aims to secure the long-term future of ancient trees by calling for no further loss of ancient trees, good management of ancient trees, the development of a succession of future ancient trees. In addition the Forum and its members seek to raise awareness and understanding of the value and importance of ancient trees.
ESMEE FAIRBAIRN FOUNDATION
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is one of the largest independent grant making foundations in the UK. It makes grants in four programme areas: Arts & Heritage, Education, Environment and Social Change: Enterprise and Independence. The Foundation also takes initiatives itself where it believes important opportunities remain unexplored. In 2007 it expects to make grants of £29 million across the UK. For further information please visit www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk
HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. They fund the entire spread of heritage - including buildings, museums, natural heritage and the heritage of cultural traditions and language.
Since 1994 the HLF has awarded over £3.6 billion to more than 22,500 projects across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, helping open up our heritage for everyone to enjoy.
THE TREE REGISTER OF THE BRITISH ISLES
The Tree Register is a registered charity collating and updating a database of notable trees throughout Britain and Ireland. It provides information on the size and growth of trees which is not available from any other source. It includes historical records taken from reference works going back more than 200 years. The Tree Register organises a volunteer network of over 50 tree measurers who update historical records and discover over 2,000 new trees worthy of inclusion each year. Their patron is HRH Prince of Wales. Learn more at www.treeregister.org
