When Alfred the Great was making a name for himself defeating Viking invaders in the late 800s, a yew tree was growing not far from Coates. That tree, having seen out dozens of subsequent monarchs, is still alive and reasonably well near the edge of Hailey Wood today.
This yew tree is one of many veteran trees being recorded on land owned by the Bathurst Estate by the volunteer Tree Warden network in the county. Two Tree Wardens (from Coates and Ampney Crucis) are covering the 600-acre Hailey Wood and the small areas of Estate-owned woodland within Coates Parish. The aim is to assist the Estate in compiling position maps, photographs and descriptions of the age, size and condition of this valuable heritage of ancient trees. When finished, the Estate plans to make the results available to the public to increase their awareness and enjoyment of the trees. This detailed ‘snapshot’ of veteran trees in 2007 will also help the Estate monitor and protect them well into the future. An important consideration is to look after trees in prominent positions, for example at the junctions and edges of woodland tracks or in fields and hedgerows where they are often especially visually attractive.
But how do you decide what is a veteran tree? This is a ‘no brainer’ for the Hailey Wood yew well over a thousand years old and with a girth of over 20feet. The giant beech in the woods behind the Tunnel House Inn, estimated at over 300 years old, is another obvious classic. Clearly it usually applies to reasonably large trees. In the survey we are using a minimum girth of around 9 feet as a guideline which, for and oak growing in woodland, means an age of about160 years plus. Other important characteristics are their potential for wildlife habitats such as cavities for bird life, bats and insects.
Future generations living in Coates who may be experiencing the effects of significant environmental changes may well find the record of trees in our lifetime a fascinating glimpse into village history. With this in mind I propose that a tree map of Coates Parish is prepared. Once complete a copy could be lodged with Gloucester Record Office. A large-scale Parish map is already available for the purpose with, as yet, only areas with Tree Preservation Orders marked on it so far. Which is the oldest tree in Coates? Who has an unusual fruit tree in their garden? Why were the two oaks on the corner of Dark Lane planted? If anyone would be interested in taking part in this project, please leave a comment.
Geoff Moore, voluntary Tree Warden
