There are numerous planted trees around the golf courses in the valley: mostly Hazel, Birch, Rowan and Ash. Along the crumbling remnants of the ancient stone walls which crisscross the landscape between the fairways are an older generation of native trees.
There are quite a few Field Maples hidden around the margins of the ancient field system which pre-dates the golf courses. This is the grandest: a geriatric who must be a couple of centuries old.Characteristically, the bark is extravagantly gnarled.The ‘keys’ are rather charmingly pink tinted.It’s nice to see that there is at least one young tree bursting from the wall close by.
Similarly, Wych Elm doesn’t stand out like the big Oak, Ash and Beech but, when you start looking at each tree in turn along the walls you find there are plenty of medium -sized individuals.
I presume that any larger Elms will have succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease. However, there are plenty of smaller specimens like this one behind the upper erratic boulder on the Hawksworth side.The leaves are larger than on ‘English Elm’ but have the same asymmetric base.
Friends of Gill Beck Valley 