This project will bring a striking and detailed historical perspective on the changing tree landscape of the Quantock’s fringing parklands and hedgerows.

Focusing on how the number, size, and species of individual trees (outside woodland) has changed over the last 200 years or so, it will renew interest in the importance of trees in the lowland landscape and create a strategy to ensure that they remain a key element of the Quantock’s identity. In the process it will uncover and illustrate the accompanying social changes affecting parkland and hedgerow trees, and look to their potential future role in a changing climate.

This project is the archive and outreach-based part of the LPS work on significant trees in the Quantock landscape. It will work with, and is closely linked to, contemporary field recording and survey undertaken as part of 2.2 Quantock Hedgerows and 2.8 Quantock Monitoring Volunteers. It will also work closely with project 3.4 Unlocking the Archives, which will be making new estate record collections available for analysis for the first time.

Alfoxton Park Estate is the first estate we have begun to investigate. In Autumn 2021 we conducted some initial tree surveys on some notable ancient trees. These surveys will then be compared to historical records to try to understand the changing landscape of this historical parkland.