These ancient woodlands support more than 100 different protected and notable species of flora and fauna, including around 50 different types of beetle and 16 butterfly and moth species. A number of the oaks are also home to native honeybee colonies, who have found the perfect environment in these trees.
Around 90% of the woodland in High Park comprises oak trees. At least 60 of these oaks date back to the Middle Ages. Despite their remarkably long lives, eventually these trees will die out – so our Forestry Team is busy propagating 3,000 acorns from our unique collection of 900-year-old oaks. The ancient oak planting scheme is part of our new Land Strategy; a series of ambitious initiatives aimed at preserving and protecting our natural heritage and improving public access to the Estate.
Each of the tiny oaks is being grown in glasshouses and small plantations. As they become big and strong enough we plant them across the Estate with the help of our Rural Team and local volunteers. As the saplings we’re growing are all direct descendants of our original trees, we are confident of ensuring the legacy of Blenheim’s ancient oaks for the next 900 years.
An additional factor has been the emergence, some 30 years ago, of a disease known as Acute Oak Decline (AOD). This causes affected trees to weep black fluid from vertical fissures on their trunks. A tree can die off within four to six years from the first sign of symptoms, so we have to make sure we’re taking action to redress the balance.
Oaks take many years to reach maturity. So that our woodland continues to be populated by the kind of majestic trees we see today, we need to think ahead. Many factors have led to fewer trees over the centuries. For example, fewer cattle roaming the parks and woodland, meant bracken and undergrowth flourished to the detriment of the tree population. To combat this, as another element of our Land Strategy, we’ve been introducing more cattle to the park recently.
