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Didcot's oaks and other notable trees

Didcot's oaks
 and other notable trees

 
Some of the oldest and most majestic oaks in Didcot

PARK DISTRICT

Park Road, Edmonds Park, Norreys Road, West Hagbourne footpath, Wantage Road

  WEST HAGBOURNE FOOTPATH  This area, mostly in Didcot's Park Ward, includes some notable oaks lining the footpath (Oxfordshire 189/18) to West Hagbourne which runs south-west from Wantage Road near the Wheatsheaf pub, crossing Drake Avenue. It continues behind the back gardens of Norreys Road and Collingwood Avenue until it joins Stubbings Land – the recreational field with Barleyfields to the north, and Bluebell Lane in Great Western Park to the west. On some plans this is marked as Two Fields. Visible in the distance (over a footbridge) is a large oak recorded on the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory (see GWP south). A similar sized oak (photo 10) is near the footpath, half its trunk in Stubbings Land and half in back gardens. The footpath continues on its straight line south-west, and just after crossing Portway, there is another large forked oak (13). The footpath finally meets Bluebell Lane near a small copse containing eight oaks, and continues (as footpath 197/1) its almost straight-line journey to West Hagbourne. Alternatively, Bluebell Lane offers other destinations in the southern part of Great Western Park. 

  EDMONDS PARK  The other most significant trees in this area are the oaks that line the perimeter of Edmonds Park, between Park Road to the west and Newlands Avenue (near Didcot Wave Leisure Pool) to the east. Here can be found several very large oaks (and some sawn-off remains), including in the centre of the northern perimeter, Didcot's largest tree, which is also recorded on the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory. This tree, when measured in 2020 had a girth (at 1.5 metre height) of 541 cm, which according to the Woodland Trust's conversion chart is 340 years old, meaning that it started to grow in circa 1680 – certainly predating the Acts of Union which joined England and Wales to Scotland, forming the Kingdom of Great Britain. Note the posted times when the gates to Edmonds Park are locked. 

  WANTAGE ROAD  Starting with a large prominent oak at the Wantage Road / Broadway roundabout with Foxhall Road and Park Road, the south side of Wantage Road in the direction of Harwell is lined with a number of large oak and lime trees. 

  OTHER NOTABLE TREES IN THIS AREA  There are a number of copper beeches, limes, Scots pine and (until late 2020) a large sweet chestnut a short walking distance from Edmonds Park. These trees can be found in Park Road, Queensway, Garden Close, Park Close and Norreys Road. 

MAP

 

  WEST HAGBOURNE FOOTPATH 

 Southbound from Wantage Road

West Hagbourne path oak 3

TPO: no

Girth 329 cm in 2020

150 years = 1870

West Hagbourne path oak 3

TPO: no

Girth 329 cm in 2020

150 years = 1870

West Hagbourne path oak 7

TPO: no

Girth 269 cm in 2020

113 years = 1907

Stubbings Land N near

Collingwood Avenue

TPO: no

Private

West Hagbourne path oak 10

TPO: no

Spans perimeter fence

180 years = 1840

West Hagbourne path oak 10

TPO: no

Est girth 370 cm in 2020

180 years = 1840

West Hagbourne path oak 10

TPO: no

Partly accessible

180 years = 1840

West Hagbourne path oak 13

TPO: 08S30T1

Main trunk 314 cm in 2020

140 years = 1880

West Hagbourne path oak 13

TPO: 08S30T1

Main trunk 314 cm in 2020

140 years = 1880

West Hagbourne path oak 13

TPO: 08S30T1

Main trunk 314 cm in 2020

140 years = 1880

W Hagbourne path group of 8

TPO: 06S42G2

Eight-oak copse

along Bluebell lane

W Hagbourne path new oaks

TPO: no

Looking back towards

eight-oak copse

From the small copse containing eight oaks, instead of continuing to West Hagbourne, an alternative walk can be explored northwest along Bluebell Lane into the south of Great Western Park.

 

  EDMONDS PARK 

 Clockwise from NW gate

Edmonds Park in 1955

showing mature oaks and

probably elms.

Photo © Francis Frith

Edmonds Park NW and N

TPO: NW 08S21T1, N: no

The few remaining oaks

bordering the park.

Edmonds Park NW (a)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NW (b)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NW (c)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NW (d)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NW (e)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NW (f)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NW (g)

TPO: 08S21T1

Girth 360 cm in 2020

170 years = 1850

Edmonds Park NNW

Leaning, pruned at 5m height

Girth 351 cm in 2020

165 years = 1855

Edmonds Park N (a)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (b)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (c)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (d)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (e)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (f)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (g)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (h)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (i)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park N (j)

TPO: no

Girth 541 cm in 2020

340 years = 1680

Edmonds Park NE pair

TPO: no

Broadest 345 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Edmonds Park ENE

TPO: no

Girth 298 cm in 2020

130 years = 1890

Edmonds Park E by The Wave

TPO: no

Girth 330 cm in 2020

150 years = 1870

Edmonds Park S perimeter

TPO: no

Both 320 cm in 2020

145 years = 1875

Edmonds Park S perimeter

TPO: no

Both 320 cm in 2020

145 years = 1875

Edmonds Park SW

TPO: no

Girth 285 cm in 2020

125 years = 1895

Edmonds Park sunset

 

  WANTAGE ROAD 

 Westbound from roundabout

Wantage Road roundabout

Plane

Wantage Road roundabout (a)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (b)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (c)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (d)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (e)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (f)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (g)

TPO: no

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road roundabout (h)

Rooks nesting

Girth 337 cm in 2020

160 years = 1860

Wantage Road (near 43)

TPO: no

Ivy covering

preventing measurement

Wantage Road / Drake Avenue

Lime + Scots pine

TPO: Lime 87S11T1

Wantage Road (near 57)

TPO: no

Girth 284 cm in 2020

130 years = 1890

Wantage Road (opposite 98)

TPO: no

Girth 334 cm in 2020

155 years = 1865

Wantage Road (opposite 98)

TPO: no

Girth 334 cm in 2020

155 years = 1865

Wantage Road at Hospital

Lime

TPO: no

Wantage Road at Hospital

Mixed group

TPO: no

Wantage Road (opposite 118)

TPO: no

Girth 330 cm in 2020

150 years = 1870

Didcot Hospital grounds 8

TPO: no

Woodlands Medical

Centre car park

Didcot Hospital grounds 7

TPO: no

Girth 346 cm in 2020

163 years = 1857

Didcot Hospital grounds

TPO: no

Didcot Hospital grounds 2

TPO: no

Girth 331 cm in 2020

150 years = 1870

Didcot Hospital grounds 2,1

TPO: no

Girth 255 cm in 2020

107 years = 1913

Wantage Road west of

junction with Slade Road

Lime

TPO: 15S05T3

Wantage Road at junction

with Pillwort Lane (private)

Lime

TPO: 15S05T2

Wantage Road W of junction

with Pillwort Lane (private)

Lime and copper beech

TPO: Lime 15S05T1

Wantage Road east of

junction with Holly Lane

Copper beech

TPO: no

Didcot Road east of

junction with Greenwood Way

Copper beech

TPO: no

 

  OTHER NOTABLE TREES 

Park Road (29-31)

Three copper beeches

TPO: 02S06T1, T2, T3

Park Road garden + Red Kites

TPO: 08S08T11

Private back garden

Inaccessible

Park Close east end

Lime

TPO: 19S11T2

Park Close west end

Lines before pruning

TPO: no

Park Close west end

Limes after pruning

TPO: no

Garden Close

Scots pine

TPO: 88S09T2

Norreys Road

Two copper beeches

TPO: no

Queensway near junction

with Newlands Avenue:

Beech and sweet chestnut.

2020: Chestnut felled

Queensway near junction

with Newlands Avenue:

Sweet Chestnut flower on

tree in previous photo