Trees

Over the years there has been extensive tree planting with the total number of varieties now standing at 111. This includes all the indigenous trees of Britain.

Our planned tree planting includes all the indigenous trees of Britain. In addition many splendid individual trees, such as Wellingtonia Sequoiadendron giganticum, and the Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens, Metasequoia glyptostroboides (prior to 1946 known only in fossil form as the Dawn Redwood!), Ginko biloba, the Golden Rain Tree Koelreuteria, Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani etc (a list too long to put here!) are scattered throughout the 25 acres of Mill on the Brue.

On the southern side of the River Brue is an area known as Arboretum A where only indigenous trees are grown. Since 1982 almost every year different varieties of oak trees have been planted. Behind the main road hedge is a section planted in 2000, called The Millennium Planting, again using indigenous varieties. On the old fairway is an oval shaped area into which trees have been planted most of which have been grown from seed brought back from abroad by staff.

Above the Far Green a large number of hazel trees are regularly coppiced to make fencing and adjacent to the High Ropes field is a Hazel Platte (the correct name for a cobnut orchard!) with some special varieties of Kentish cobnuts. There are also three orchards with a few plum and pears but mainly excellent eating apples and some cookers.

In November 2011 we planted 1700 saplings in the new field next to the campsite. We wanted to create a classic British wood with oaks, hornbeam, ash , beech, yew, hazel. The outer fringes of the wood are planted with shrubs that will provide ideal cover at a lower height.

Many thousands of native trees have been planted: for the most recent planting of 1700 trees the oak was chosen as it supports a very high level of biodiversity (c.400 species) whilst hornbeam, wild cherry and yew are the favoured trees for the hawfinch, a rare bird which Bruton is renowned for during the winter months. In another planting, one thousand willows were used for screening and shade around the tunnel system: willow supports the highest level of biodiversity of any tree species in the country. Newly created hedgerows are traditionally managed by laying and provide shelter and feed for wildlife.