The Diamond Jubilee Wood and Oak Tree

In 2012 a generous villager had the idea of buying land and planting a wood in our village in order to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. A 2.7 hectare field lying to the south west of the village, and having lovely views of Glastonbury Tor and the Mendip Hills, was purchased from Somerset County Council in 2013.   The Woodland Trust were engaged to provide a plan plus the sapling trees and shrubs. The plan included a community orchard of 20 fruit trees, a picnic table, a wildflower meadow running down the centre of the land and a bog/pond area at the bottom of the field.

Planting of the Diamond Jubilee Wood
Planting of the Diamond Jubilee Wood

A project manager, Alistair Eaglesome, was appointed and a small committee was formed to oversee the establishment and maintenance of the wood. Planting day was 23rd November 2013, a very beautiful autumn day and volunteers under the direction of Alistair set about putting in the stakes, the tree shelters and the 800 or so native sapling trees and shrubs provided by the Woodland Trust. The native species included major trees – oak, hornbeam, lime and beech; minor trees – field maple, wild cherry, silver birch, rowan, crab apple and aspen; shrubs included hazel, hawthorn, guelder rose, dogwood and dog rose.

The community orchard trees were planted towards the top of the field during January 2014.

The Jubilee Oak watering team
The Jubilee Oak watering team

The sapling trees and the orchard trees benefitted from the very wet winter of 2013/2014 and the trees were able to establish with only a few casualties. Having said that, it has not all been plain sailing. In 2015  it was clear we were going to have a ‘thistle’ invasion and prompt action had to be taken in order to avert a wood consisting of nothing but thistles! Also whilst busy trying to get rid of the thistles, aphids attacked the damson and greengage trees in the orchard, denuding them of leaves. Hopefully they will survive, but if not, we will replant.

The view as you approach the Jubilee Wood
The view as you approach

The wildflower meadow has established mainly from the hay that was taken from Don Clarke’s wildflower meadow at Northfield House and spread over the field prior to the planting of the wood. During April, May and June this year we had an abundance of cowslips (planted last year by Barbara King), bird’s foot trefoil, red and white clover, speedwell, ox-eye daisy or marguerite, yellow rattle, hawkweed and of course lots of dandelion, buttercups and daisies. In the bog area we have the yellow flag iris doing well and a marsh marigold is in there too and we hope that will flourish and increase in numbers.   Also growing are many grasses including Yorkshire Fog and Cocksfoot and these attract different types of butterflies including the Meadow Brown, the Small Skipper and the Common Blue.  In the hedgerow, amongst other things, we have English bluebells, guelder rose and wayfaring tree (viburnum). On the track leading to the wood during February we had lots of snowdrops already established and English bluebells have been planted which we hope will establish over time. We did spread quite a few Flanders red poppy seeds but they are tricky little blighters and we just had a few flowering last year, none at all this year. Apparently they just like freshly disturbed/ploughed ground which is why they flowered so profusely on the Flanders fields and why they are seen in corn fields.

Peter (Farrant) has kindly mown around the perimeter of the field and around the picnic table to make life easier for walkers and picnickers.

If anyone would like to be on the Committee’s list of volunteers for work in the Diamond Jubilee Wood from time to time, please contact Sue Forbes email sue@forbeslcf.net .

Finally, the Tree Council as part of their Diamond Jubilee celebrations gave away 60 large Jubilee Diamond trees. Our village was successful in obtaining one of these and an English Oak (Quercus robur) was chosen.  This is planted next to a hedge near the Diamond Jubilee Wood where it is hoped it will stand a good a chance of still being there in a couple of hundred years’ time. 

Barton’s Jubilee Oak Tree
Barton’s Jubilee Oak Tree

November 2024

Further improvements were made to improve the ‘understorey’ by the planting of about 60 shrubs in the right hand side of the woodland planting.  This will eventually provide more nesting and food for smaller woodland birds plus food and microhabitats for a wide range of butterflies and other invertebrates.  It will also help to ‘slow the flow’ of run off to the brook leading to the River Brue. A team of 20 young Telecom Apprentices and Managers from Nokia to come down from Bristol to help us with the planting.

Village Tree Warden

Denise Goodman Tel – 01458 850878 

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