Llandeilo Past and Present

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Trees and Woodland (2/4)

By Greg Howes

Gelli Aur Country Park and Arboretum

As a hunter of veteran and champion trees, two sites stick out more than most; the first is Gelli Aur (Golden Grove), which is situated on the South side of the Towy, three miles west of Llandeilo. On approaching the site there is a splendid avenue of Limes (Tilias) thought to have been planted before 1860.The country deer park on the north part of the site has many veteran oaks, and other large trees of interest.

The site is home to a large manor house once occupied by the Vaughans, who were great planters and guardians of their trees. As early as 1608, Sir William Vaughan (1577-1641), the agricultural and colonial pioneer, had advocated the planting of trees and the making of orchards among his methods for improving agriculture1. John Vaughan carried on this tradition by purchasing 5000 saplings from a London nursery in 1781, which included:

  • 600 Weymouth Pines
  • 600 Spruce Firs
  • 200 Silver Firs
  • 500 Common Larch
  • 600 Portugal Laurels
  • 300 Common Alaternus
  • 24 Cedars of Lebanon
  • 24 Hemlock Spruce Firs
  • 400 Lime trees
  • 24 Alexandria Laurels
  • 200 New White Broom
  • 400 Common Laurels
  • 150 Fine Red Virginian Cedars, as well as Scotch Fir, Spanish Chestnut, Beech, etc 2.

Another strong-willed champion of the trees was Lady Anne Vaughan who doggedly refused to have her beloved trees cut down, and ruin her ancestral seat despite desperate pleas from here penny-pinching husband Lord Winchester. These ancestral homes often cherished their trees for generations, and the grounds were a reflection of the family's high standing and long-standing link with the locality.

ThujopsisClick for larger image

The real jewel in the crown of Gelli Aur, in my opinion, is the Arboretum, which is open to the public seven days a week and is free of charge except for parking .The Arboretum is thought to have been planted in the 1860s and according to one source the Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) was planted in 1863, Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) planted in 1866 and two Hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata) in 1869.

The arboretum was superimposed over an existing parkland site, which already had some large veteran sweet chestnuts, and oaks. The sweet chestnuts on the terrace can be abundant in their nut production and many have notable girths, two in particular. One measures 6.09 metres the other 5.37 metres. The arboretum has a great deal of charm and interest for young and old alike. One of the fascinating things about this arboretum is not only the size of its trees, but the occurrences of bundle planting which produces multi-stemmed giants. These give Gelli Aur arboretum a real sense of grandeur, style and uniqueness all of its own.

The arboretum has a fantastic selection of specimen trees from around the globe. But for me it's mature specimens that win the day. It can boast some nationally verified champions: the Fern leaved Beech (Fagus sylvatica "Heterophylla") has the widest girth registered in Britain for this species, as does the yellow Juniper (Juniperus chinensis "Aurea"). Other top national trees of note are the Sawara cypress, (Chamaecyparis pisifera) Swamp cypress (Taxodium Distinctum) and Cryptomeria japonica elegans.

Douglas FirDouglas Fir - click for larger image

The multi-stemmed monsters for me are the most impressive. Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) and the huge Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) are just some of the arboreal delights offered by this unique collection. Incidentally I would like to add a special note about the man who first introduced the Douglas fir, David Douglas, who despite his lowly birth was one of the great botanical pioneers of the early 19th century, and braved just about every discomfort known to man in order to bring back viable trees from across the globe. Just outside the arboretum is the famous Gelli Aur oak, which unfortunately has shown no evidence of life for over two years This massive hulk is thought to be approximately 1000 years old. The old oak is still majestic in its decline and is the host for a huge range of other life forms. Root compression by forestry vehicles is thought to have finally ended the last chapter in this old warrior's life.

Footnotes

  1. Hughes Lynn, "A Carmarthen Anthology" page 378 published by Dinefwr Publishers, Llandybie, 2002.
  2. Linnard, William, "Welsh Woods and forests, A History", page 145, published by Gomer, in 2000.

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