Ajax
Wood LocationPontburn, DURHAM Ship Information
Ship Commander - Lieut John Pilford
Guns - 74
Constructed at - Rotherhithe
Killed in the battle - 2
injured in the battle - 9
Wood Information
Size - 12 acres
Owner - Woodland Trust
To be planted - between January and March 2006 (tbc)
Ajax Wood will be planted in one of two fields purchased by the Woodland Trust in 2002.
The site is located on the east side of Hamsterley Mill in Co. Durham (NZ 1467 5645) with access directly off the B6310. The land consists of 6.77 hectares of semi-improved grassland directly adjoining the Trust’s existing property known collectively as Pontburn Woods.
The Derwent Walk runs along the old railway line that runs between the two fields. This PROW is also part of the National Cycle Route (No 14) and forms part of the Sustrans C2C route.
A new native mixed broadleaved wood similar to NVC W10 woodland with associated open grassland habitats will be created on the fields. Areas such as the NE corner of one of the fields where a wet flush occurs will be established as wet woodland. The young trees will be protected from roe deer, rabbits, hares and other small mammals using tree shelters. Trees used to establish the wood will be of local provenance, some of which will have been contract grown from seed collected from Pontburn Woods by the North East Community Forest Tree Nursery. The trees will be planted in single species groups of between 15 to 30 individuals and shrubs in groups of 5 to 15. The groups themselves will be planted in random mixtures with shrub species concentrated mainly around the margins of the planted areas. Distances between trees will vary from 1 to 5 metres within groups and from 5 to 10 metres between groups to make the planting appear more natural. Open space will account for 20% of the wood’s area and will consist of grassy rides and small glades to facilitate visitor access and protect sensitive areas of archaeological and floristic interest from damage through planting.
Events in Ajax Wood There was a week long schools planting programme for local schools in the Autumn 05.
A community planting day took place on Saturday 3rd December 2005.
More information
John Pilford
Served as 1st Lieutenant of the Ajax in Sir Robert Calder's action of the 22nd July 1805; and, in the absence of the Captain, commanded her at Trafalgar 1805 for which he received the gold medal, the thanks of Parliament, a sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund, and an honorary augmentation to his arms. Created CB 1815 Captain of the Ordinary at Plymouth 1828-31. Died in Stonehouse, Devon 1834.
HMS Ajax
HMS Ajax was built by Randalls of Rotherhithe on the Thames and launched in 1798. She was one of a modified Valiant class built with slightly higher deckheads, and was first commissioned in 1798 when she joined the blockading squadrons off the coast of France.
At Trafalgar, Ajax was commanded by her First Lieutenant, John Pilfold, since Captain William Brown had been left behind in England to attend as a witness at a court martial. She sailed from Plymouth on the 18th September, 1805, in company with HMS Victory and HMS Thunderer and went into action as part of Admiral Nelson’s column.
She was seventh in the line, and as Ajax approached the combined French and Spanish Fleets, a Lieutenant of Marines remarked on the calmness of the crew as they waited to go into action, standing by their guns, stripped to the waist with handkerchiefs bound around their heads, some dancing a hornpipe to music played by the ship’s band. One crewman remarked that the French and Spanish ships would make an even better sight as prizes at Spithead. Soon after 1 p.m. Pilfold took the Ajax into action firing on the French Bucentaure (74 guns) and the Spanish Santissima Trinidad (136 guns) before sailing on to engage other ships. Casualties during the battle were 2 dead and 9 wounded, and during the storm that followed the crew of Ajax helped to rescue the men of ships in danger of sinking.
Ajax had only a short life, since while in the Mediterranean in 1807, fire broke out in the cockpit late one evening, and burning out of control forced the crew to abandon ship and take to the water. Two women passengers and their husbands were lost but one woman passenger, her husband and child were among the 381 rescued. Many of the 250 lost had served onboard Ajax at Trafalgar, when Captain Blackwood had commanded the frigate Euryalus which accompanied the fleet at the battle.
Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.
