The Heritage Ash Trail, Glastonbury – To The Trees Edition #57

Glastonbury is home to some mighty Ash trees. Along the lanes and in the hedgerows of Stone down reside some of the largest – ranging from towering maiden trees laden with veteran features, to gnarled and stunted old working pollards with upwards of 4m girth.

I am no stranger to the beauty of ash, I have written at length about them in the past, including articles on the famed Great White ash as well as the ash trees of Glastonbury Tor. Ash is a beautiful tree, flowing, rounded and watery in structure, elegant in form and foliage, and plentiful in use and application. The ash is adaptable, vigorous, resilient, able to exist in all sorts of forms, and in many differing environments.

I often describe ash as the tree of ‘The Middle Way’, it is as happy as a pioneer tree as it is forming a mature woodland, as happy carved into a  hedge as it is in the centre of a field – it moulds and flows like water into its environment. Ash is also steeped in cultural and spiritual significance, it doesn’t just flow through our landscapes, it permeates our daily lives too, adapting to our needs as keenly as it adapts to its environments. These reasons, as well as the ash tree’s abundance upon this isle, have led them to become one of the most featured trees in my rambles across land and through language. I have developed a real affection for them, so much so that it could be said that most of my friends are ash trees!

But the ash trees upon the Isle are slowly dying, lost one-by-one over the course of the last few years to the disease commonly known as ash dieback. Recently, many of our trees have visibly deteriorated, the most notable symptom being the loss of foliage from their canopies. For some trees it can take a few years, or even decades for the disease to fully take its toll.

It’s not all gloom – It’s suggested that a small percentage of ash have some means of tolerating the infection and may produce offspring who are also resistant. Humans are also doing their best to cross breed ash trees with resistance, with some success. Nevertheless, our landscapes and horizons have been and will continue to be altered and we might have only a few more years to enjoy the full presence of these wonderful trees.

With this in mind, in an attempt to record for posterity the ash trees as they stand upon the Isle of Avalon in 2024, I have compiled this article, walking route and accompanying map, which I hope you find of assistance on your heritage ash adventure.

Note: Please respect the old trees and be aware that many are brittle and easily broken, please think twice before approaching them. Otherwise, I call upon you to enjoy, admire, give thanks, and worship these trees, supporting them through their illness as we might do a human relative, offering ourselves to their needs as they have ours.

 

The Map – For a full list of the trees, click the button in the top left of the map window. Click here to view on google maps.

 

Glastonbury’s Heritage Ash Trees

This collection of 20 ash trees (or locations where many notable trees are present) have been selected to give a good cross section of the ash living upon the hills of Avalon. The trees range in girth from 2 metres to upwards of 4 metres, with one pollard at 5m girth. They show a range of ages estimated from 100-150 years old with many showing veteran and ancient features such as open, exposed and rotting heartwood, dropped boughs, and developing hollows. A mixture of maiden, pollard, coppice, hedgerow, weeping and split ash trees are present. Ash is a quick growing tree, and is considered ancient at only 225 years, typically a veteran ash is 100-200 years old and a notable tree 75-150. Pollarded ash trees can live for much longer than maidens and some of the oldest and largest in the country are old pollarded trees of 300-400 years.

Many of the fattest trees are lapsed pollards, trees which were once managed to create regular crops of wood, or those which were managed as part of the upkeep of hedgerows next to roads or paths. Pollarded trees tend to live for longer than maiden trees, they have short trunks, which stop just above grazing height and then create a splay of younger branches. The process repeatedly resets the tree’s development and creates short sturdy trees cut cyclically for their new boughs.

The trees selected for this collection roughly follow this criteria:

• Veteran or notable trees
• Have a girth of 2-4m +
• Show veteran or ancient features
• Are of an otherwise notable structure
• Publicly accessible, on paths or lanes
• A mix of Maiden, pollarded, woodland, hedgerow and split ash trees

The route has been designed around the lanes and public footpaths of Stone down, to take in as many of the most notable veteran trees as possible that are publicly accessible. The selection gives the best cross section of the ash trees as a whole and provides a circular walk taking in many of Glastonbury’s finest vistas. The collection is not exhaustive, nor comprehensive, and doesn’t take into account the many veteran and ancient trees that exist off the beaten track, hidden in hedges and on Glastonbury’s moors, surrounding the island.

A selection of the trees:

Only half the trees have been included in this gallery, so as not to spoil the adventure.

 

The Route

Leave Glastonbury town via Dodd lane heading towards Bushy coombe. Continue on the public footpath up the hill and pass through the kissing gates at the top. Continue straight until you reach the viewpoint for the Tor and pass through the kissing gate to the left into the hollow known to locals as Fairy lane, here resides our first ash. The Fairy lane ash tree #1 is a split ash with two reaching leaders growing from the lapsed hedge on the left. Its crown canopies a large portion of the Lane and appears to have a unique growth pattern with noticeable weeping quality – branches tumble from close to the the top of the canopy nearly reaching the ground before turning up their fingers in typical ash style.

Exiting fairy lane into the adjoining field, we note the large buttressed ash straight ahead and the bank of ash trees on the fields edge to the left. We turn right and head for the next kissing gate onto Wellhouse lane. To the right of the gate are two large maiden ash trees #2 backdropped by the Tor. There were once three, known to some locals as ‘The Three Maidens’, the remaining stump from the third tree remains in the hedge on Wellhouse lane. The tree on the right as we look towards the tor shows signs of advance deterioration, young growth shooting straight up from the horizontal branches and very little foliage in the summer – This tree might be one of the next to go.

Turning left into Wellhouse lane we meet a further notable ash tree #3 next to the water works, accompanied by younger trees on the opposite side. This tree appears to be in better condition than many others on route, the tree has an interesting structure suggesting a previous harsh pruning, and it includes a hollow in which an owl has been spotted. Slightly further up on the right stands a piece of old ash hedge that was left standing after a recent lay.

Further up on the left, before one reaches the junction of Stone down lane, sits quietly one of the most complex ash trees on the isle, The Crone Ash #4. A pollard showing many veteran features which might lead one to believe it’s one of the oldest trees in the collection. Its heartwood, now turned to soil, is revealed through a wound in its upper right side and sprouts regular fungal flourishes. It has a very interesting structure , heavily buttressed and with younger branches growing from its base. A nearby stem on the right of the main tree may also be from the same roots system.

Continuing along Stone down lane, toward the Tor’s other entrance, leads us to the next stop. We pass through the gate towards the Tor and head for the willow archway. In the Avalon orchard at the base of the Tor a beautiful maiden ash #56 stands next to convenient spot to rest and to take in the view though the apples, across to the lynches. From the orchard we note the hilltop maiden ash tree (not publicly accessible) upon the opposite hill.

We are led out of the orchard through the second willow arch and into a green tunnel, to the left is an old ash hedgerow #6. The row of vertical stems in the image below look like the have been created by the the same hedge-laid branch. Onwards, on the right stands the Tor side maiden #7, one of the finest maiden ash trees on the isle.

Next we head through to the small wooded area on the east side of the Tor. Here, we are faced by the aptly named pilgrim ash trees #8, a row of maidens who, in the not too distant past, marked a boundary at this location. Their position in a straight line leading up the hill inspires their name, they appear like a row of hunched pilgrims climbing to St Michael’s tower. This collection includes some of the tallest trees on route, but the ones with the smallest girth of approximately 2m. Their lower trunks show scarring from wire fencing and their buttressed roots also indicate their use as boundary trees.

This woodland hides more treasures – staying on the public footpath, pass by the fallen remains of a once mighty ash on your left, head through to the end of the wood and turn right up the hill. You will arrive at the grand ash staircase #9. A gnarly ent-like ash has created steps up the hill making this quite the idyllic spot. Some ash trees have already been heavily pruned, or removed entirely from this location for safety of foot traffic around the tor which is managed by the National Trust.

Next, we walk back down the Tor side, through the gate onto the aptly named Ashwell lane at the bottom of the hill. Two ash trees of note remain visible here. Both are on the Tor side of the road, one is a multi-stemmed mammoth #10 and the other a  weeping ash tree #11, they sit on the edge of private gardens but are clearly visible from the road.

Our next stop takes us to the lynches via Gypsy lane. We pass further notable ash trees on this road, a large split ash #12 along with a host of other pollards, as we head for the stile on the left. Crossing the stile into the lynches, continue on the public footpath around the base of the terraces, hop the next stile, pass by the hidden pond on the left which conceals the relics of a bygone veteran ash.

On route across the field, following the footpath, take a moment to note the large split ash #13 in the hedge on the right which is currently in a relatively good condition, it sports interesting markings where its two leaders fuse together.

Once you reach the start of the ridge, turn around to take in a very special view to Glastonbury Tor. This view was created by the loss of one of our most dear veteran ash trees known to me as the Great White Ash. He was a giant maiden tree whose branches touched the ground, and who was lost to a storm 2 winters ago. The tree’s stump can still be seen and the remnants of its mighty boughs in the field below.

The next ash sits on a ridge that was once a field boundary, and which guides the route of the public footpath around the east of the isle. It’s an old ash pollard #14, with multiple large leader branches. Its base is barely visible, surrounded by thorns and a fence which protects it from the grazing cattle. This ash is one of the only remaining parts of that old row. The main trunk is showing veteran features, though they are difficult to observe through the undergrowth.

From here we continue along the ridge past the Mistletoe Thorn and the Avalon oak, before heading onto Stone down lane for the final stretch of this ash trail.

Crossing over the stile onto Stone Down lane, we turn left up the hill. Here we meet two buttressed hedgerow ash trees #15, on the left. I often note their over developed bases (the first reaches 2 metres along the hedge line), fluting and hollows which indicate the trees were laid as part of the hedge in their younger days, the enhanced size of the buttresses caused by subsequent mechanical flailing of the hedges. These are two of the most healthy ash trees in the collection, their canopies remain relatively full, while neighbouring trees seem to be heavily affected.

Halfway up Stone Down, where the lane bends, stands a collection of ash pollards #16 of various sizes. A bench here provides an opportunity to take in the view past this grazing family of ash. Further Ash pollards continue up on the left of Stone down lane. Here a particularly notable ash pollard #17 remains half standing, one side of its trunk completely missing and revealing a cross section that shows the pollard’s root ball, once rooted into the mulch of its own trunk and now held aloft and sprouting a mini woodland from the top.

We turn right off Stone down lane, onto the discreet permissive path that leads to Paradise lane. This path is home to one of two large old pollards on this route. The lane keeper #18, is a bulky giant of 5m in girth, the largest on the tour. The pollard lapsed long ago and is full of interesting features including a large wound on its field side that reveals its deteriorating centre. The sheer presence of this tree is quite something.

Continuing along the permissive path and turning left onto paradise lane leads us to the penultimate ash tree in our collection – The ash with a view #19. Another huge pollard, again showing many interesting features and character. This tree is the most recently managed of the pollards, the new shoots showing around 10 years of growth, a testament to the vigorous growth rate of ash, and their ability to regenerate after a harsh prune.

This ash provides our final resting place, a bench looks out over the wonderful view to the North, and provides the perfect opportunity for us to ponder our ash adventure, the beauty, and the demise of these wonderful trees.

The route back to town leads us along paradise lane and past many more ash trees young and old, the most notable oversees the gateway by which we return to the land of people – The Gateway ash #20 – the last official ash on our trail, perfectly frames a view to Glastonbury Tor, and guides walkers onwards along the ancient lane.

We continue on paradise lane now heading back to Glastonbury town, noting the old ash hedgerows and a spritely young ash on the right and a row of veteran pollards in the field to the left. Exit paradise lane and walk straight back to town via Wick hollow. End.

View the google map.
Read more about ash dieback.

Heritage Ash Trees

Many more large trees exist around Glastonbury in fairly obvious locations which I have not included in this map partly because they were just a little far off this route but also to leave the floor open for your own ash adventure through the lanes to uncover more of the heritage ash trees hidden quietly in our landscape.

The joy of a mature ash with full canopy of pinnate leaves waving on the gentlest breeze, casting a liquid shadow all over the floor, with huge bunches of ash keys dangling green, is a joy I have only just fully realised, and their slow passing is a loss that is painfully drawn out, and that will take a lifetime to grieve – the development of this walking route which bring to light some of our finest heritage ash trees is an important part of that process.

Here’s to the healing of ash, and the reproduction of many more resilient trees for future generations to enjoy.

Until Next time … We Walk To The Trees

UPCOMING TREE WALKS:

• Winter Solstice Tree walk and Owl Experience – BOOKING ESSENTIAL