The Tortworth Chestnut - approx 813 years old (+/- 400 years)
I discovered the existence of this grand old tree during the Summer, when carrying out some preliminary research for a piece of commissioned work. In the event, I went with another idea, but the roots and branches of a medium-long term photographic project have started to take shape...
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From information on typed A4 at the site (see photographic record in comments below).
This Sweet or Spanish Chestnut (Castanea Sativa) is thought to have grown from a nut planted in 800D.
Peter Collinson a British leading amateur dendrologist, writing in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1762 and 1766. The great chestnut at 'Tortsworth (sic) alias Tamworth' was 'in all probability the oldest, if not the largest tree in England, being 52 feet round' Collinson dated it, on somewhat shaky ground, to the 9th century: 'I may with reason fix its rising from the nut in the reign of King Egbert, anno 800'.
John Evelyn writing in 1664, claimed the 'great chestnut' had been a boundary tree in the 16th century. In Kip's birds-eye view, reproduced in Sir Robert Atkyn's Ancient and Present state of Gloucestershire (1712), the tree was mentioned as growing beside a garden wall. Atkyns writes: 'there is a remarkable chestnut tree growing in the garden, belonging to the manor house, which by tradition is said to have been growing there in the reign of King John (13th century); it is nineteen yards in compass, and seems to be several trees'.
It now has a huge, twisted main trunk and many of the branches, which touched the ground have rooted, growing into trees and creating a small woodland.
The Tortworth Estate are now actively managing the site, after advice from the Forestry Commission and a tree specialist. This includes new fencing and some surgery. Help with the funding for this work was provided by the Forestry Commission and National Grid.
The gate near the tree has a plaque which says 'This tree supposed to be six hundred years old 01st January 1800.
May man still guard thy venerable form
From the rude blasts and tempestuous form.
Still mayest thou flourish through succeeding time,
and last, long last, the wonder of the clime'.
The Tortworth Chestnut has been included in a book (Great British Trees) published by the Tree Council to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Tortworth Estate has many rare trees, which were planted by the Third Earl of Ducie, Henry John from 1853-1921. These can be seen at Tortworth Court and Leyhill visitors centre arboretums, which in it's prime competed with the acclaimed Westonbirt Arboretum, as the best private collection outside Kew Gardens.
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On June 23rd 2013, the girth of the tree was considered to be 12 metres when measured at 1 metre from the ground, and is thought to be growing at a rate of 0.6cm per year. The tree is now part of a small grove of sweet chestnuts, presumed to be the result of thriving clone seedlings.
The Tortworth Chestnut - approx 813 years old (+/- 400 years)
I discovered the existence of this grand old tree during the Summer, when carrying out some preliminary research for a piece of commissioned work. In the event, I went with another idea, but the roots and branches of a medium-long term photographic project have started to take shape...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From information on typed A4 at the site (see photographic record in comments below).
This Sweet or Spanish Chestnut (Castanea Sativa) is thought to have grown from a nut planted in 800D.
Peter Collinson a British leading amateur dendrologist, writing in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1762 and 1766. The great chestnut at 'Tortsworth (sic) alias Tamworth' was 'in all probability the oldest, if not the largest tree in England, being 52 feet round' Collinson dated it, on somewhat shaky ground, to the 9th century: 'I may with reason fix its rising from the nut in the reign of King Egbert, anno 800'.
John Evelyn writing in 1664, claimed the 'great chestnut' had been a boundary tree in the 16th century. In Kip's birds-eye view, reproduced in Sir Robert Atkyn's Ancient and Present state of Gloucestershire (1712), the tree was mentioned as growing beside a garden wall. Atkyns writes: 'there is a remarkable chestnut tree growing in the garden, belonging to the manor house, which by tradition is said to have been growing there in the reign of King John (13th century); it is nineteen yards in compass, and seems to be several trees'.
It now has a huge, twisted main trunk and many of the branches, which touched the ground have rooted, growing into trees and creating a small woodland.
The Tortworth Estate are now actively managing the site, after advice from the Forestry Commission and a tree specialist. This includes new fencing and some surgery. Help with the funding for this work was provided by the Forestry Commission and National Grid.
The gate near the tree has a plaque which says 'This tree supposed to be six hundred years old 01st January 1800.
May man still guard thy venerable form
From the rude blasts and tempestuous form.
Still mayest thou flourish through succeeding time,
and last, long last, the wonder of the clime'.
The Tortworth Chestnut has been included in a book (Great British Trees) published by the Tree Council to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Tortworth Estate has many rare trees, which were planted by the Third Earl of Ducie, Henry John from 1853-1921. These can be seen at Tortworth Court and Leyhill visitors centre arboretums, which in it's prime competed with the acclaimed Westonbirt Arboretum, as the best private collection outside Kew Gardens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On June 23rd 2013, the girth of the tree was considered to be 12 metres when measured at 1 metre from the ground, and is thought to be growing at a rate of 0.6cm per year. The tree is now part of a small grove of sweet chestnuts, presumed to be the result of thriving clone seedlings.