Parks and countryside
Walsall Arboretum boasts largest number of veteran trees of any site across Birmingham and the Black Country
Published on
Although Walsall is perhaps best known for its industrial heritage, the Borough is actually very green and home to some outstanding green spaces and significant historic trees.
A recent interim report for the Ancient Tree Inventory has revealed that Walsall Arboretum boasts the highest concentration of ancient and veteran trees in the entire region.
Compiled meticulously over several months by dedicated Woodland Trust volunteers Michael Glasson and Richard Roberts, the report emphasizes the importance of conserving Walsall’s Green Belt land and recognises Walsall as an area of significance for the number of veteran and ancient trees located across the Borough.
“ It often comes as a surprise to people when we talk about how green Walsall is, but in actual fact when you step away from the town centre, Walsall is around 30% green.
These findings are extremely exciting as they highlight Walsall as an area of regional importance as an ancient tree hotspot. We take enormous pride in the greenness of our Borough and to know that Walsall is home to so many ancient and veteran trees is testament to how well our green spaces are cared for and preserved. I’d like to thank Michael and Richard for their tireless efforts to record the borough’s ancient trees
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“ Ancient trees are true living legends. They’re steeped in history, surviving many hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. They’re home to a huge array of other species and they’re important carbon stores. The discovery of such a treasure trove in Walsall is fantastic. Long may they survive - and thrive! “
“ This report has been a labour of love by myself and Richard and is the product of six months of hard work. We are passionate about what we do and have surveyed and recorded some 240 trees in total. This is really exciting for Walsall and highlights its rich history “
The Ancient Tree Inventory classifies trees into three categories: Notable, Veteran, and Ancient, with ancient trees being the most historically significant and crucial for wildlife conservation.
Findings show that Walsall is home to a wealth of historic trees; nearly 150 individual records are now on the Ancient Tree Inventory of some 30 different species. Walsall has over half of the most important trees (classified as ancient trees) currently recorded across the whole of Birmingham and the Black Country.
When recording began in November 2022 Walsall did not have a single ancient tree recorded. The total for Birmingham and the Black Country in November 2022 was 12, but this figure has now risen to a total of 36, of which 21 are located in Walsall.
The Ancient Tree Inventory is an outstanding tool for predicting the location of important wildlife habitats and the discovery of these ancient and veteran trees helps us to learn more about the rich history of Walsall’s green spaces.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Ancient Tree Inventory can be found here: https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
Outstanding trees recorded include:
- An exceptionally large and/or ancient Lombardy poplars, goat willow and elder. Several of these trees are now listed as county champions on the Tree Register of the British Isles in terms of their girth. The elder (at 2.63m) is a national champion tree, amongst the largest of its species in England.
- 3.50m crab apple (approx. 170 years old, something of a record for the species)
- 7m girth alder (probably at least 250 years old)
- 7m hornbeam (probably 250 years old)
- 7.35m lime (ditto)
- ash pollards of 5.02 and 5.6 metres girth (possibly 300 years old
- 2.07m common hawthorn (possibly 200 years old)
- crack willow of 7.35m girth
- a remarkable 3.51m Huntingdon Elm
