Horndean Trees : Horndean Trees : Main Homepage

Why are our trees so important to us ?

Over the last 40 years (20 years as Parish Tree Warden) I have been admiring, photographing and recording Horndean's Trees and am still making new discoveries but also witnessing sad losses. They are our living heritage, Past, Present and Future and we must protect and look after them. Only a limited number of our important trees can be legally protected but every tree featured on these web pages or listed in the Horndean Tree Register is, in my opinion worthy of living space in the parish and should survive today's considerable threats.
So many of our trees have provided local people an attractive and healthy environment for hundreds of years, these trees will continue for several hundred years into the future - we must do all we can to secure their future for the next generation - NO TREES NO FUTURE.

Horndean's Trees - Trees play a very important part in the village landscape. Horndean contains many fragments of Ancient Woodland with a great variety of native species, many are now retained within housing estates and play an important part in maintaining a healthy environment and in providing habitats for wildlife attracted to our gardens.
Many specimen trees survive from former and present estate gardens, planted in the 19th century, these create a landscape setting to the village and the settlements of Catherington, Blendworth and Lovedean.
Today's threats -Sadly many of our trees are increasingly threatened by development, urban expansion and government policies. This page aims to raise awareness of our trees as a valuable part of our natural heritage and to bring together the many tree surveys that have been carried out by Tree Wardens, East Hampshire District Council (TPOs) Planning Applicants and Horndean Parish Council for documents such as t! he Village Design Statement.
This is an immense task but worthwhile. The main feature of this website will be the Horndean Parish Tree Register.

In a recent quote from the "The Dendrologist"Vol.17 No.8, Professor David Bellamy noted how important it was that people could learn botany "which cannot be done from books" and said, "The Victorians did a fantastic job setting up gardens and parks in our towns. They were really saying thank you God or Darwin".He went on to say that if we could not touch and feel the plants of our history "...then our knowledge is very trivial". These comments are echoed in an article by Pro.Geoff Dixon who is passionate that "...the benefits of plants is driven home to the public and our legislators, " and points to studies in America which show a link that where there are trees and green places there is less crime. There is "greater social communication and cohesion, improved feelings of safety and reduced mental fatigue, professionals should emphasize the importance of trees and other plants, not only to combat climate change and mental wellbeing but also in our foods as important parts of our health care.
To me these comments very much apply to Horndean where a number of our important trees have survived from Victorian and earlier plantings and can be found in the remains of estates such as Crookley Park, Merchistoun Park, Cadlington House, St Catherines and Catherington House. A special page on this website will be set aside for trees in these areas. There are several more just beyond the parish boundary, such as Staunton (Leigh Park), Stansted, Hart Plain Estate (Park Wood and Dr Beddow) and others making the Horndean area rich in great trees, many collected, brought home and planted by Owners in their travels abroad. Many have been lost (such as the magnificent Tulip Tree at St Catherines House) with land changing use or being sold off for housing. What remains must be saved for future generations to enjoy. It is the prime purpose of this web site to raise awareness of our natural living heritage.

The Horndean Tree Register has been set up by John Vigay, one of the Tree Council's longest serving Tree Wardens. The Hampshire network of Tree Wardens was set up in 1990, not long after the Great Storm (that occurred on his birthday on 16th October 1987).
This website welcomes comments or information on trees in the Horndean area including neighbouring parishes so that they can be added to this website.
Contact via E-mail wildlife @ vigay.com

More on the Ancient Trees in the UK will be given on the page concerned with Horndean's Ancient Trees soon to be set up.