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Observatory Hill trees

7 Sept 09: At the Downs Committee Meeting on 7th Sept 2009, there was a proposal on the agenda to hold a public consultation on the aims and options to restore the Clifton Camp Iron Age Hill Fort and Scheduled Ancient Monument is approved, with the results of the consultation and proposed implementation plan reported back to Committee in November. A report was presented by Peter Wilkinson- Service Manager of Parks and Estates (9223535). If people could understand and approve what was being proposed then the scheme would be carried out over a period of several years. The proposal was that a caravan would be parked nearby on DATE POSTPONED and that a consultation document for this site with analysis of peoples comments would be presented to the next Downs Committee meeting on 23 November at 4:30. If there was widespread approval at that meeting then the proposal to remove all the scrub and many trees would go ahead
Several people spoke (including Maggie) or presented statements in the public forum, and the committee members had a useful discussion which took our comments on board. The overall feeling was that there had to be a genuine consultation because the area was enjoyed by many local residents and Bristolians. It was currently not clear what the costs and benefits were. There had also not been a proper plan or alternatives proposed. The committee agreed that no decision to go ahead should be made in November because it was too short a timescale and the residents would be very cynical – and this would impact on the reputation of the Downs Committee. In November there should only be a report on findings and the form of a consultation document. Considerable care was then needed to be taken in producing a fully detailed consultation document down to very fine detail which would then be discussed at a later meeting next year. It was acknowledged that the forum statements had helped this decision. The media and residents also needed to be informed about the caravan consultation. It was also confirmed that no area would be fenced off to grazing animals, and that the report had wrongly stated that all scrub and trees were to be removed. The bare landscape shown in the illustration by Samuel Hieronymous Grimm that was in the report was not what was being proposed.
3 Sept 09: AGENDA ITEM NO.8 DOWNS COMMITTEE 7th September 2009 4:30pm Comments by noon 4th Sept to Democratic Services Officer, Council House democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk.
Officer presenting report: Peter Wilkinson. Service Manager – Parks and Estates Contact telephone number: (0117) 922 3535
RECOMMENDATION: That the proposal to hold a public consultation mid/late October on the aims and options to restore the Clifton Camp Iron Age Hill Fort and Scheduled Ancient Monument is approved, with the results of the consultation and proposed implementation plan reported back to Committee in November.
17 April 09: Rest assured- there will be a full consultation before anything happens. Dates are unknown. Richard Bland's walk on 21st May covered this area.
Thursday, February 19, 2009: Plan to fell trees on Bristol's Downs sparks concern (Evening Post)
Campaigners http://www.bristoldownswatch.org.uk/ opposed to plans to change the face of the Downs in Bristol have warned that scores of trees could be felled on the parkland later this year. Downs Watch, which is fighting proposals to return the area to the open grassland of 150 years ago, believes that work planned to clear trees and scrubland on Observatory Hill is unnecessary.
The work to clear vegetation from the Iron Age fort near the hill, off Clifton Down, is set to go ahead next winter and is part of a five-year management plan agreed in 2007 which includes removing hedges and thickets to improve views. But Downs Watch spokesman Roger Yates believes the felling of more than 100 trees will be one of the most sweeping elements of the work so far. The city council and the Merchant Venturers, which jointly oversee Clifton Downs, have already admitted that "such large-scale work will attract a lot of attention".
Originally the trees at Observatory Hill were due to be removed as and when they deteriorated but they will now all be felled together after an inspection revealed they were in poor condition. The Downs Committee, which is made up of city councillors and Merchant Venturers, has agreed that the public must be well-informed about why the work is going ahead. But Mr Yates insists the Downs should be left alone as a wild environment and believes the work would change the landscape character of Clifton Green. He says a sheltered space enclosed by greenery will become windswept and tree stumps will be an eyesore. Mr Yates also predicts the cleared area will become an unofficial adventure playground for youngsters on mountain bikes. He said: "The proposed tree clearance on Observatory Hill is only a small part of what the council are proceeding with on the Downs and in the Avon Gorge. They have already cut down more than two-thirds of the woodland in Walcombe Slade, the largest side valley of the Avon Gorge, without public consultation. There are plans in the pipeline to remove around half the trees on the Bristol side of the Avon Gorge, including these works and work ongoing beside Circular Road and soon in Fairyland. They plan to create a uniformly managed parkland landscape by removing the wild and natural aspects of the landscape we all love. The works proposed on Observatory Hill are unnecessary, unwanted and expensive."
Last year, shrubbery was removed from an area of the Downs known as a venue for outdoor sex, as part of the management plan, which looks ahead to the next 50 years.
Helen Hewitt, spokeswoman for Bristol City Council said: "The Downs management plan clearly sets out how the Downs will be effectively managed over a rolling five-year period. "This includes the removal of trees and scrub from the Hill Camp area of the Downs in accordance with specialist advice from English Heritage. English Heritage has advised that the roots of the trees are causing long-term damage to this unique and important archaeological site. We know there is great interest in the Downs and the new Downs ranger will work with English Heritage and Natural England to ensure local people are kept informed of what's happening. We plan to hold a series of information days on site during the summer to set out the reasons for the works and give people the opportunity to comment on the proposals."

Victoria Square Trees

On Sept 10th 2008 the Council tree department will be carrying out a pruning exercise in Victoria Square. It involves removing deadwood from many older trees, removing Ivy, which is desperately needed, felling two dead trees, felling the old Horse Chestnut at the arch end which has Tree Canker, and removing some branches that are dangeously overhanging the roadway. I have been sent their detailed plans, and inspected all the trees, and made one or two suggestions, including removal of the Holm oak stump, and removing the laurel stumps that have re-sprouted after their trimming two years ago.
There has been a grave lack of tree maintenance over the past thirty years, and several of the great Victoria Square trees are increasingly misshapen as a result. The Tree of Heaven in the SW corner is the finest in Bristol, though it is suckering, and has a strong lean over the road. The Hornbeam on the SW edge is unique as it combines tissue from the Cutleaf Hornbeam with that of normal Hornbeam. There is a Honey Locust on the central pathway which is totally ivy-clad- and which is showing the same die back that is sadly affecting Honey Locusts throughout the city. I suspect when they remove the Ivy there will be nothing worth preserving left.
Anyone with queries or concerns please contact me at richardbland@blueyonder.co.uk, or 0117 973 4828
Richard Bland Tree Warden

Treesbristol

9 June 09: On Bristol City website, type TreeBristol into search for information on a scheme which has had huge success this year, providing £19,000, and ensuring the planting of 742 new trees around the city.

Trees in the city exhibition

At the Architecture Centre near the Arnolfini there will be an exhibition from June 15-26th about trees in the city.
Cities Need Trees, compiled by 4D (Landscape Designers) , is on display downstairs at the Architecture Centre until 28 June (every day except Monday).
Michele Lavelle of 4D says: "It only takes a few minutes to read so if you are in the centre of Bristol with a moment to spare in the next two weeks then please do call in and have a look. It would be great if you could put a note in the comments book".
The Architecture Centre is on Narrow Quay, between Pero's Bridge and Arnolfini

Tree Work on the Downs

Richard Bland 13 Dec 2005
Gordon Milward took Richard round the proposed improvements to the view of the Suspension Bridge that he is carrying out in the near future, in preparation for the Brunel festivities next year. Very large numbers are expected to be attracted to the main event in April 2006, and young self-sown trees in several places now obscure the former clear views of the bridge, and these will be removed.
In particular a line of ash trees close to the Look Out site on Sion Hill, which obscure the view of the bridge from it, will be removed. This will effectively add to the open space immediately to the right of and below the Look Out. In addition a self-sown bay tree in this area will be removed. By the Observatory an Ash and a Turkey oak which obscure the view from that site will be removed, and an ash growing alongside the rock slide. For good measure a Sycamore growing in the boundary wall near the Toilets will be removed- it is breaking the wall up, and two ash trees, one growing horizontally, that are close to the Children’s playground, will be removed.

Annual Report

Report August 2004 to August 2005

Tree Felling

2 mature trees are to be felled on Christchurch Green because of disease. A notice will be put up by the Council explaining why they are being felled. Any replacements will wait until the Downs Ranger has completed his report on planting on the Downs.
Permission has been given for lorries to drive up to the Observatory carrying building materials. Branches of trees which might be hit will be cut back first
The Downs Ranger has advised that the yew hedge of the Mansion House is to be pruned drastically, partly because of complaints that it is encroaching over the pavement. Roy Vaughan will bring the large patches of ivy to the attention of the Downs Ranger

CHIS Guide to Trees in Clifton

Richard Bland
Clifton has a very remarkable inheritance of trees in public parks, communal gardens, and in private gardens. They are considered below in order of their interest, either because of age or rarity, but also by where they occur.

Victoria Square

This very handsome square was opened in 1837 and named after the new Queen. It was planted up at the time, but only the Cedar of Lebanon on lawn and the Cut-leaf Beech flanking the central path, and the Tree of Heaven in the south corner, all with girths of over 4m, probably date from that time. Two most unusual trees on the SE side are the Italian Maple, which flowers in the early Spring, and the Hornbeam, which contains some branches of the Cut-Leaf Hornbeam, and others of the normal form. The aged leaning Black Mulberry may also date well back, as these trees are notorious for collapsing with age. There is a Tulip Tree on the western corner and an old Laburnum on the SW side. Recently there has been a planting by CHIS, of five different unusual oak species on the central pathway, but they have yet to become established. Note the Cork Oak (so called because its bark looks like cork) on the pathway. There is also a Tree of Happiness on the SW side (there was another by the Mulberry but it fell on several cars causing much unhappiness). There are also several bay trees.
Across the road in the hotel gardens, notice the Bean tree and the Strawberry tree.

St Andrew's Churchyard

Apart from the pleached Lime avenue, some of whose individual trees are clearly old, but which is regularly replanted with young trees as older ones decay, there is a huge north American Red Oak on the west side with a girth of almost 3 metres, implying a planting date of around 1900. Also on the west side, there is a magnificent double Cherry, though its days are probably numbered, a fine tall Monterey Cypress, and a magnificent Witch Hazel. On the east side, there is also a great rarity from North Korea: Neolitza sericea, which is in the far corner of the old churchyard by the Bishop's Housee.

Vyvyan Terrace Gardens

This has four original trees, two very large Horse Chestnuts, both around four metres in girth, a Cedar of Lebanon, and a magnificent Weeping Silver Lime (Tilia petiolaris) on the north east side.

Zoo

The Zoo has a very fine collection of rare trees, many of them very recent. It had some very fine trees dating back to its foundation in 1837, but most of these have had to be felled in the last few years. Its Magnolia Kobus is very beautiful in early spring, and visible from outside, and it has an exceptionally fine Turkish Hazel, Dove Tree and a Crategus laciniata, a thorn tree that may be original.

Clifton College

The lime trees around the school do not look that old, but Lime trees grow slowly, and there is a photograph of them as saplings in 1865. They have twice been pollarded, once in about 1920 and again in 1950, which has helped to slow their growth down. On the east side of the close, the school has a very early Dawn Redwood, planted in 1950, and now taller than the limes planted nearly a century earlier. And on College Road, opposite Guthrie Road, there is a Sophora japonoica or Scholar's Tree, planted in 1980 by the headmaster's wife, and doing exceptionally well.

The Downs

There are a number of magnificent and rare trees on the Downs. The triangle outside the Lord Mayor's Mansion House has a very fine Tree of Heaven, a very rare natural variant of the native Oak called the Clustered Oak, as well as a Red Oak and a Pin Oak. There is also a fine Hornbeam that appears as part of the Beech avenue along the Promenade and was probably planted in error. Nearby, on the side of Bridge Valley Road, is a wonderful double-trunked Sycamore, probably self-sown, with a total girth of over six metres, which probably dates back to before 1850. The Mansion House itself has a superb Wellingtonia, probably dating from the original seeds sent to James Veitch and Sons' nurseries in 1853. Further up the Promenade is a very fine Monkey Puzzle tree, which almost certainly dates from the same period, when seeds first arrived. The Downs Grand Avenue contains a Black Walnut, and there are still three Huntingdon Elms dating from 1880. Some of the stunted multi-stemmed Hawthorns on the Downs may date back to the Civil War.

Avon Gorge

Two types of tree (Bristol and Wilmott's Whitebeam) grow naturally here and nowhere else in the world. The blossom is white. They are to be found on the Seawalls Road on the right hand side just as the road loops round to the left back to the edge of the cliffs after the peregrine watch.

Brandon Hill

When the tower was built in 1897 a series of unusual trees was planted. They include the Kentucky Coffee tree, a Black Birch, Caucasian Wing Nut, and Zelkova serrata. There is also a very early Turkey Oak planted in 1867, and a magnificent native Oak with an exceptional spread in the Parks Department enclosure that is certainly 200 years old, and may well be more.

Beech trees

There is a number of magnificent Beech trees which are up to 200 years old. The largest is that in the forecourt of the Merchant Venturers' Hall on the Promenade, and one of similar size stands in Clifton High School. There are others in private gardens in Canynge Road, St Paul's Road etc.

Horse Chestnut

Much the finest is in the grounds of Clifton Hill House, near York Road, and belongs to the University. Its position is extraordinary, as from York Road you view it from half way up. However, it stands above a vertical wall some 20 feet high, created to allow access to new buildings in the 1950s. Its size implies that it is at least 250 years old There is a fine one on Clifton Green, probably the oldest tree on the green, going back to 1850.

Holm Oak

This was a popular tree in Victorian gardens as it is evergreen, and the oldest are in the grounds of Clifton Hill House and Cornwallis House, both dating back to before 1800. They have since spread into the wild, and are a serious threat to the natural wildlife of the Avon Gorge.

Turkey Oak

There is a magnificent specimen where Pembroke Road joins Clifton Park that may be 200 years old.

Luccombe Oak

The Luccombe Oak is a fertile cross between a Turkey Oak and a Holm Oak. It is semi-evergreen, and was widely planted in the 1860s. There is a fine one at the foot of the Mall Gardens on the West Mall side that appears to be from this date.
There is a fascinating tree sculpture hewn out of a dead chestnut.

Useful links

Bristol's Street Trees are being felled at an alarming rate and not being replaced. This site states Bristol City Council needs a Street Tree Strategy.
Bristol City Council Parks and open spaces gives navigation to tree management and tree preservation orders
University of Bristol Grounds Services Tree Links
University of Bristol Botanic Gardens
University of Bristol Grounds Services Tree List for Wills Hall
The Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project
Clifton Garden Society. Contact Person: David Speller, 9 Dowry Road, Bristol BS8 4PR.
The Tree Register of notable trees in Britain and Ireland

Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society (CHIS)