Tree hunting man Rob McBride with an ancient specimen. © Rob McBride
A dedicated hunter of ancient trees is to walk the entire length of Offa's Dyke on the lookout for large old arboreal landmarks.
Rob McBride, a volunteer for the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Hunt project, will attempt to discover and record as many ancient trees as he can along the course of the 177-mile path. He expects to walk even further than that as he dashes off the track of the 8th century embankment on the English-Welsh border to meet grand old trees.
"From experience of looking for and mapping ancient trees in north Shropshire, we're finding some pretty distinctive trees within half a mile of Offa's Dyke," said Rob.
"People talk about oaks being left as markers along parish boundaries," he continued. "Maybe these trees are marking the ancient boundaries between England and Wales."
And while Rob is on his epic walk, anyone else who finds trees of major girth can now register them on the project's website either in English www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk or in Welsh www.helfacoedhynafol.org.uk.
Formerly a software engineer, Rob got involved with the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, in 2004 when his GP prescribed him 'fresh air and exercise'.
Now in Welsh - the Ancient Tree Hunt website.
He started volunteering for Shropshire County Council Countryside Service, and was soon introduced to the world of ancient trees. He is now a voluntary verifier for the Ancient Tree Hunt project, which aims to involve thousands of people across the UK in mapping our biggest, oldest trees. In 2007 he won the Woodland Trust's Volunteer of the Year award.
Along his journey, Rob would like to meet up with local naturalists. If you would like to make contact, call 01766 832563 or email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk.
You can track Rory's progress on the website www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk or
www.helfacoedhynafol.or-g.uk, as well as find ancient trees near you, or add your own discoveries along with stories and photos.
Some of the most notable of Wales' ancient trees are the 10-metre girth Oak at 'The Gate of the Dead', 1.6km (1 mile) from Offa's Dyke, and the ancient yew outside St Digain's Church, Llangernyw, Conwy – believed to be over 3,000 years old and probably the oldest living thing in Wales.
Another amazing tree is the Pontfadog Oak near Chirk, Wrexham – Wales' largest sessile oak with a girth of 12.9 metres, where Owain Gwynedd rallied his army in the 12th century before they went on to defeat Henry II at the Battle of Crogan a mile away.
Meanwhile, the Talley Abbey Ash in Carmarthenshire, by the picturesque abbey ruins, has such a gnarled trunk it's difficult to measure, but is probably about 11 metres in circumference. And the largest old yew at the Bettws Newydd churchyard in Monmouthshire has an entirely hollow trunk.
Ancient trees are waiting to be found across England and Wales – many older than our cathedrals and castles – but we don't have a comprehensive record of where they are. The Ancient Tree Hunt is changing this and creating a new map of important living monuments.
The five-year project is led by the Woodland Trust (known as Coed Cadw in Wales), 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, and Scottish Natural Heritage, and is supported by the Forestry Commission and local partners.
More information about The Woodland Trust can be found on their website.
