The felling of an almost ancient yew tree that witnessed the famous Battle of Hastings has sparked outrage in the county of East Sussex and, by extension, England. The tree, about 13 meters high, was found collapsed last week in a field in Battle. One kilometer and a half from Senlac Hill, the location of said war encounter.
The Battle of Hastings was a crucial historical event that took place on 14 October 1066 and led to the Norman conquest of England. This battle marked a turning point in the history of England and had important consequences for the country and its future.
Paul Lawrence, a 51-year-old expert arborist and resident, discovered the tree uprooted and lying on its side, about 100 meters from its original location. “I saw him for the first time yesterday [Wednesday] morning while I was walking the dog. I was in complete shock,” he told The Argus. Lawrence had spread his grandfather’s ashes at the base of the tree and had a personal connection with him. In this regard, he expressed his complete disbelief at discovering it and his anger at the situation.
The arborist contacted the City Council and expressed his hope that this situation would serve to raise awareness about the loss of ancient trees, which in his opinion “are as important as any ancient monument and need protection.”
However, The Sun reported that neither Sussex Police nor Rother District Council declined to comment on the matter, as the tree is on private land and access to it has not been authorized for further investigation. with investigations.
This incident follows the felling of the historic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland last week, too, an act that was described as deliberate vandalism by local police. This approximately 300-year-old tree was one of the most photographed in the United Kingdom and became popular thanks to the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) starring Kevin Costner. In addition to destroying the tree itself, the culprit caused damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO world heritage site. Although the police initially detained a teenager and, later, a retiree as alleged perpetrators, investigations are still continuing to arrest the perpetrator or perpetrators and clarify the motive for the arboricide.
While the investigation continues its course pointing to a possible demolition, some local media have published the hypotheses of several neighbors, statements that fuel doubts and indignation in the United Kingdom. “There is no evidence to support the idea that the tree was deliberately felled” although logging was taking place in the area last week. On the other hand, they assure that “he was dragged after his fall.” Other people suggest that the tree’s roots could have shown “signs of rot”, which would have made it unstable.
Despite this, the yew is considered an important ancient monument and part of the history and heritage of Battle. In addition, it is located in the area of ????another monumental yew tree in Crowhurst, located in the churchyard of Saint George’s Church. It is estimated that this tree is about 1,300 years old.
These two recent acts highlight the importance of protecting and preserving ancient trees, many of which are protected by Tree Preservation Orders issued by local planning authorities, Sussex Express explains. However, the same media claims that not all ancient trees are covered by these orders, and some experts – such as Lawrence – argue that more must be done to protect these valuable elements of the UK’s natural and historical heritage.
