Trees of Northleach

February 2023

ASH(Fraxinus excelsior)

If you leave Northleach on the A429 Fosseway, whether travelling towards Cirencester or Stow you can’t help but notice the sad disappearance of hedgerows and the miles of bare tree stumps.  Gloucester Highways has spent much of the winter cutting down thousands of Ash trees across the county.  This sadly, is the fate of Ash Trees right across Britain as they succumb to the disease Ash Dieback.  Affected trees are likely to shed branches so they can endanger traffic.  Gloucestershire Highways has committed to replanting trees where possible and Parish councils are encouraged to work with them to find other suitable land for planting.  Small trees (whips) of native trees can be obtained through the Tree Warden scheme and the Ash Dieback Team.

The Ash is a native to much of Europe and some of Asia and is (or was) the third most common tree in Britain.  They like deep fertile soil and if you have a seed-bearing tree nearby, you will probably be pestered by Ash seedlings popping up in the garden.

Several Ash trees growing together can form graceful groups up to 35 metres tall.  Going up the hill from Mill End towards Winterwell Farm you will see two mature Ash trees together in the hedgerow; a landmark from all around.  Unfortunately, a limb has had to be cut from one tree spoiling their symmetry. I wonder how long they will survive.

In winter Ash is easy to identify with its velvety black buds on the end of the twigs and its smooth grey bark.  In the summer you will find its compound leaves, with 4-6 pairs of leaflets on one stalk (petiole) and as summer progresses the female trees will bear clusters of seeds called keys.

Mature Ash trees can be home to many bird, animal and insect populations as well as mosses and lichens.  Healthy Ash trees store huge amounts of carbon in their trunks and roots locking it away for the 400 years or more of their life and beyond, helping us on our way towards a low carbon future.