Portishead’s Champion Trees                    by Sandy Tebbutt        Click photos to enlarge

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A huge oak tree (Quercus robur) stands on the slopes of Beach Road West above the Lake Grounds. It was obviously there when this area was still a marshy area called Rodmoor. Its huge and rounded shape indicates that it has never had much competition from other trees to check its growth at any point. It is probably between three and four hundred years old.

Just past the magnificent oak on the Lake Grounds, is a stand of White Poplar (Populus Alba) which has been shaped by the prevailing westerly wind.

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A group of Atlantic Cedars (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’) were planted in 1953 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. These magnificent trees stand just below Beach Road West.

The Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) that grows on Battery Point, just above Esplanade Road was a great favourite with Victorian landscapers. This specimen is a great favourite with children as its trunk and boughs allow good climbing.  It also provides cool shade on a hot day.

This group of cherries (Prunus avium) was planted on the Triangle at West Hill as part of the “Plant a Tree in ‘73” campaign after the disaster of Dutch Elm disease.  The area has been further enhanced with the planting of heather beds by Portishead in Bloom in 2010.

These limes (Tilia x europaea) grow at the top of Brampton Way where it meets the High Street near Clarence House. There were many lime trees in nearby Church Road South but many of these have succumbed to bad weather and old age.

This Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica Purpurea) stands at the entrance to St Peter’s Churchyard. Early postcard views taken at the beginning of the 20th century show it as a sapling.

This Maple grows on Wyndham Way near the Sail roundabout and is at its best during autumn when its colour is beautiful.

This unusual Sophora grows at the bottom of Newlands Hill on the green outside the Elderly People’s bungalows.  

This magnificent Plane (Platanus spp.) grows at the corner of South Avenue by the Scout headquarters.

This oak tree (Quercus robur) was planted in 2010 by North Somerset Council to celebrate the laying out of The Lake Grounds in 1910 by Bristol City Council who used unemployed men to dig out the lake by hand.

This lovely long stretch of wild plum or damson trees (Prunus domestica, common name Bullace) is growing just above the cliff edge at the bottom of the Picnic Grounds. If conditions are favourable then a good crop can be gathered in early autumn.

This neglected old hedge of mainly Lonicera nitida was taken out and replaced by mixed indigenous hedging by Portishead in Bloom (with the help of North Somerset Council) in 2009. The protective chestnut paling has now been removed.  

This neglected old hedge of mainly Lonicera nitida was taken out and replaced by mixed indigenous hedging by Portishead in Bloom (with the help of North Somerset Council) in 2009.  

The hedging consists of 60% Hawthorn (Crataegus); and the other 40% is Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa); Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare); Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea); Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana) Pussy Willow (Salix caprea); Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris).  This will provide food and shelter for wildlife.

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