‘Ash doorway’ Ashton Court Estate, Bristol

Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

The ash tree is native to Europe and is the third most common tree in Britain. It is the last of our native species to produce leaves in spring and its beautiful airy foliage allows light to penetrate to the woodland floor encouraging woodland flora and fauna. There are invertebrates, lichens and mosses that depend wholly on the ash. Ash wood is very strong and flexible with straight grain and is used for furniture, joinery, tools and handles. Traditionally it was used for firewood and charcoal. Its burns for a long time with intense heat. Its twigs have a distinctive three pronged form like a trident, and black buds. In autumn, the clumps of seeds are know as ‘ash keys’.

Symbolism : Held sacred by Druids, the ash was used to make wands. In Norse mythology the ‘World Tree’ or 'Tree of Life’ was the ash. Its trunk reached up to the heavens, its branches spread over the earth and its roots down to the underworld, and their gods held their councils under its canopy. Viking ships, though made largely of oak, had all their symbolic parts made of ash. It is one of the traditional woods used as the Yule log. Gaels thought of the ash tree as protective, and it is often found near Irish hold wells. In Britain, ash was considered protective and healing, particularly with regard to child health.

Threats: Unfortunately, since 2012, ash dieback, a fungal disease, is causing ashes in Britain to lose their leaves and for the stems and turns to canker and crack. It is thought that tens of thousands of ash trees will die over the next decades, which will change our woodlands significantly.

About Ashton Court Estate:

Ashton Court dates back to before the 11th century and it is referred to in the Domesday Book as a wealthy estate with a manor house, great hall and courtyards. The estate covers 850 acres of woods and open grassland laid out by Humphry Repton. It has two deer parks. Clarken Coombe Wood, on the slopes below this tree, has over 300 veteran oaks, and the Domesday Oak, likely over 700 years old, still grows near Summerhouse Plantation and was selected by The Tree Council as one of 50 Great British Trees. In summer the grasslands on the plateau are full of wildflowers including common knapweed, ox-eye daisy and wild carrot, and they ring with the sound of skylarks that nest here. Top Park Field is also wonderful for wildflowers and abundant in green-winged and common spotted orchids.

Directions:

GPS: ST 54655 71914

What3words: front.values.jars

Bike or walk:

From Bristol City Centre the National Cycle Route 33-Festival Way goes through the bottom of Ashton Court Estate. From here go up behind the mansion and follow the tarmac path through the parkland, taking the right hand fork and go up the hill past the fallow deer park, past the warden’s house and to the top of the hill where it starts to level out and you will see a wide gravelled track on your left.

You can also cycle from Clifton over the Bristol suspension bridge and access Ashton Court via the Clifton Lodge Gatehouse (BS8 3PX). At the end of the drive, lined with beech trees, go straight ahead and as the path turns to the left there is a gravelled track on your right.

The gravelled track takes you up to the top of Ashton Court. When you get to the far end the track passes between a woodland and Justin’s Meadow (a fenced nature reserve). Don’t continue between these but head left, downhill, along the side of of the wood. Follow the edge of the wood and continue around its corner and you will see the ash tree in the field ahead of you.

Bus:

Take X4 bus from the C7 city centre bus stop, to Clanage Road, Bower Ashton, and its a 10-minute walk past the UWE art college to Ashton Court Estate Mansion House. Or take the number 8 to Clifton and walk across the suspension bridge. Instructions are then the same as above.

Car:

Mansion house car park and Clifton Lodge car park open from 8am to dusk. Parking charges apply. Then instructions are the same as above.