Llandeilo Past and Present

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Trees and Woodland (4/4)

By Greg Howes

Other trees of note

The impressive yew arch, at Aberglasney gardens, near Llandeilo, has caused much controversy because of the varying interpretations of its age. The arch has been reckoned to be 250 years old by a visit from a dendrochronologist, but other more romantically inclined people have suggested it to be up to 1,000 years old. The arch caused further controversy, because of its recent pruning back, which seems to have split the botanical world as to worth. Aberglasney is also the home of one of the largest weeping ash trees in Wales, which was noted as being mature in the 1870s.

The "Holy Well" and yew tree at the source of the Gwenlais River near Pentregwenlais, Carmarthenshire, perhaps outline the spiritual importance of both trees and wells in the natural landscape. There is much debate as to the age of the yew and the past uses of the land surrounding the tree and the "Holy " well. Water is after all the giver of life and it is no surprise that our ancestors were in awe of wells, especially when they were in the form of springs and even more so the sources of rivers. The tale attached to this particular spring is as follows. "A virgin was murdered, and on that spot a spring gushed out. The spring has two eyes, they say, of a very different nature. They show a cavity, about the size of a grave near the Well, on very dry ground of which it is said that, fill it as often as you please to the surface, it will always sink to the same depth."

Llandeilo Churchyard

Llandeilo churchyard must have more variety of trees than any other churchyard of its size in Carmarthenshire. It houses some fine specimens which include one on the largest weeping ash trees in Wales as well as one of the largest copper beech trees in Wales. Some of these specimen trees were listed in the W Samuel's 1868 book "Llandilo, Present and Past". Samuels says of the churchyard trees, "Some of the trees have braved many a breeze, but the majority of them have been planted since the rebuilding of the church, among which will be found the following:

• Cedar of Lebanon
• Cedrus deodadra (or Himalian Cedar)
• Arbor Vitae
• Double flowering Cherry
• Purple leafed Beech
• Robinia pseudacacia
• Robinia inermis
• Juniperus Sabina (common savin)
• Taxus baccata
• Taxus hibernica
• Araucaria imbricata -" Puzzle Monkey"
• Pyrus aucuparia (Mountain Ash)
• Ulmus crispa (curled leafed Elm)
• Ulmus pendula (weeping Elm)
• Fraxinus Pendula (weeping Ash)
• Betula pendula (weeping birch)
• Pinus Maritima (small Fir)
• Sumach

He goes on to say "The old standards or large trees are Wych or Scotch and Common Elm, Oak, Sycamore, and large Horse chestnut "1

Many of the trees of this list have survived to the present day, and thanks to W Samuels we not only know the date they were growing but we can also get a rough date of planting .The church was completed on the 10.10 1848, and opened by the exotic tree enthusiast Lord Bishop Thirwell, of the Bishops Palace Abergwili (now the Carmarthen Museum).

What is interesting about the list is how many tree species have had a scientific and common name change since 1868. "Pyrus aucuparia for instance it is now called Sorbus aucuparia, and the Arucaria imbricata is now Araucaria araucana and what we now call the "Monkey puzzle tree was originally called a "Puzzle monkey tree" because, so the saying goes, "it would puzzle a monkey to climb it.

View map of the churchyard trees (use the back button to return to this page)

The Roots of the matter

I have been very fortunate to have been asked to conduct walks and talks on some of the woods and trees mentioned above, and it is has always been a pleasure to do so. There is much to add to this leafy tale ,and if anybody knows of any interesting, remarkable or sizable tree(s) for its (their) species, please let me know and I can forward the details to the "Tree Register of the British Isles" for whom I am a recorder.

What I do already know however, is even today we still seek our refuge and solace amongst the groves, coppices and forests of our landscape as our ancestors once did, and perhaps in doing so, we are unconsciously answering a call from our more deeper instincts, leading us back to our distant origins in the wild woods of old.

Bibliography

• W Samuel, "Llandilo, Present and Past, published by Morgan and Davies, "Welshman" printing office. 1868
• Davies, William, "Llandeilo-Vawr and its neighborhood", Printed by D.W.&G. Jones, Rhosmaen Street. 1858
• Linnard, William, "Welsh Woods and forests, A History", published by Gomer, in 2000
• Hughes Lynn, "A Carmarthen Anthology", published by Dinefwr Publishers, Llandybie, 2002
• Rackham, Oliver "The last forest", Published by Dent, in 1993
• Lewis Anne, BA, The last siege of Dryslwyn Castle
• The Tree Register of the British Isles

Footnotes

1. W Samuel, "Llandilo, Present and Past, page 3, published by Morgan and Davies, "Welshman" printing office, 1868.

About the author

As well as being an authority on trees, Greg is an experienced professional genealogist and a qualified local historian. Based in Llandeilo, Greg runs the family history and genealogical research company The Time Machine with his wife Jayne, helping people trace their roots and family heritage.

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