22 October 2008
City Lord Mayor visits Burnham Beeches
The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Lewis, was
joined by the grandson of the founder of the Scouting movement when
he made an official visit to Burnham Beeches yesterday (Tuesday 21
October).
Lord Mayor Lewis and Lord Baden-Powell toured the 220 hectare
site of ancient woodland, which has been managed by the City of
London Corporation since 1880 before pollarding a 20-year-old beech
tree. This technique of cutting back the head of the tree’s main
branches to promote more bushy foliage has been carried out at
Burnham Beeches for centuries and helps to extend the life of the
trees by several hundred years.
Some of the pollarded trees at Burnham Beeches are 500 years old
and an important attraction of the site and the work has resulted
in the Beeches being designated a National Nature Reserve.
The Lord Mayor of the City of London makes an annual visit to
Burnham Beeches.
Lord Mayor Lewis said: "It was a fantastic day at Burnham
Beeches, timed well to see the emerging autumn colours.
"It was a privilege to ‘behead’ one of the beech trees, using
such an ancient technique, in what is one of the best examples of
ancient woodland in Britain."
Ends
The City of London Corporation is the long-standing body with a
modern role that looks after the Square Mile, including support for
the international financial services industry based in the UK. The
City Corporation, whose elected head is the Lord Mayor, also
provides local government and policing for the Square Mile and
provide special and exemplary services for wider London and the UK.
These include the international Barbican Centre, Hampstead Heath,
the original wholesale food markets of London, the Port of London
Health Authority, Epping Forest, the five City bridges, the
internationally renowned Guildhall School of Music & Drama and
the London Metropolitan Archives. The City Corporation (which is
also custodian of the leading London grant-giver City Bridge Trust)
also works with inner London boroughs on a large number of
regeneration projects – and supports three new inner London City
Academies. The Lord Mayor acts as the ambassador at home and abroad
for the UK-based financial services industry.