Veteran trees are trees which due to their great age, size or
condition, are of exceptional value culturally, in the landscape,
or for wildlife. The pollarded oaks on Ashtead Common are true
veterans, their trunks broad in girth and crowned with majestic
boughs. A legacy from a time when the landscape was more open, they
formed part of a habitat known as wood pasture.
Veteran trees often provide a range of rich, but scarce,
habitats supporting many rare and endangered deadwood species, as
well as other invertebrates, fungi, bats, small mammals and birds.
They are an integral part of England’s cultural and biological
heritage, and so receive special attention in the management of the
Common.
What is a pollard?
Many of the trees on Ashtead Common are pollards. Pollarding is
the cutting of tree branches out of reach of browsing animals. Once
cut, the tree sprouts new shoots that can be harvested again
for various uses. The open woodland or wood pasture, this
creates allows grasses to flourish, providing ample grazing for
livestock.
The oak pollards on Ashtead Common have been mapped using a
global positioning system, then surveyed and plotted using computer
software. There are certain areas on this map where most of the
veteran pollards have died or fallen, which is where staff will
need to concentrate their efforts in the future. The remaining live
trees in these areas have priority for management, including
remedial tree surgery and their protection from fire through
bracken-control. In addition, trees that are developing
the characteristics of a veteran, need to be identified and
managed, so that they stand a better chance of surviving to
become the veterans of the future.
Find out more about Ashtead Common’s veteran trees with
this leaflet:
Information sheet - veteran trees
(531kb)
What's happening now?
A detailed survey of all the ancient pollards on Ashtead Common
took place in 2009 and has produced a 30-year prioritised
management programme for Ashtead Common's veteran oaks. This
includes further monitoring to assess how they are responding
to work carried out. The first year of work took place
in winter 2009/10, and further work is planned to continue
in each winter to come.