OAK (Quercus robur) The King of British trees. Slow growing into a large spreading tree. Living over 800 years, it has deeply lobed leaves and black/grey fissured bark.

The fruits are called acorns and are nuts that grow in cups. Both can be found on the ground. Some of the acorns are misshaped, which is caused by insects

burrowing into the buds, creating a gall. Look around and see if you can find some on the ground. Over 284 types of insects live on an oak tree.

SCOTS PINE (Pinus sylvestris) A native of highland Scotland, this tree is impressive, soaring straight up to 40 metres with a fluffy high crown. The cones that carry the seeds take two years to mature but they are loved by squirrels and seed-eating birds. The wood is used in many buildings for

windows and doors. The resin, which is tapped from under the bark, is used to make turpentine.

Look around and see if you can find ones that have been chewed by animals for the seeds.

ALDER (Alnus glutinosa) A smaller native tree that reaches up to 20 metres, in a conical shape. Likes to grow in damp places and is often covered in lichen.

In spring you can see both male (left) and female catkins (right), which develop into clusters of cones that hold the seeds.

The seeds are loved by siskins and goldfinches, and the catkins are a valuable early source of pollen for bees. The flowers can be used to make a green dye associated with Robin Hood.

ASH (Fraxinus excelsior) A tall slender tree with a high feathery crown. Small leaves in pairs up a separate stem. Easily recognised in spring by large black buds. Grey/green bark develops deep fissures with age. The seeds are winged, called keys, and fly great distances on the wind. See how far

away from the trees you can find one. The wood is fine grained and pale, often used for hockey sticks.

Hollybush Tree Trail Use this leaflet to discover

more about the trees around

Hollybush Wood.

HAZEL (Corylus avellana) The woodland is managed by coppicing the small trees, such as hazel, and using the wood around the garden and estate. Look at the cut ‘stools’ - can you see how the tree regrows? Look at the tips of the new shoots, often they are missing due to deer browsing! In the spring there are large dangling catkins that are full of pollen. On the

same branch are the tiny pink female flowers. These then turn into hazelnuts that are eaten by lots of birds and animals. See if you can find one on the ground with a hole in it.

LIME (Tilia europaea)

A big multi-stemmed tree that has also been managed historically by coppicing. See the way it has grown from the stump.

The large burrs and stems around the base make great winter homes for animals and insects.

In spring it has white fragrant flowers that can be picked and made into tea. It is an important source of nectar for early flying bees. The wood is often used for musical instruments, and the inner bark is made into rope.

SWEET CHESTNUT (Castanea sativa) A tall slender tree with large toothed leaves and plum-red buds. They have to be planted as generally it is too cold here to germinate from seeds. It was introduced by the Romans and spread around the country by monks.

The seeds are kept safe in a large very prickly shell. Historically the seeds were ground into a porridge called polenta. Today they can be roasted and eaten, if you can get them before the animals. We use the wood here for fencing around the estate. You can tell the wood by the purple staining that metal tools make. Look around the car park on your return and see if you can spot some.

HOLLY (Ilex aquifolium) The tree that this wood is named after. Very recognisable by the prickly evergreen curled leaves. As the tree grows the higher leaves are less prickly, as the lower leaves are thought to protect the tree from grazing animals.

The trees can be both male and female but it is very hard to tell which is which, until in autumn the bright red berries appear on the females. These berries are an important source of food for birds over winter.

Look at the leaves, very carefully, to see if you can spot insect trails. These are from the holly leaf miner, a small fly whose larvae live within the leaves.

This walk will take you through our semi-ancient

ghyll woodland, named Hollybush Wood.

Most of this wood is much as it was in the 1600s

and today it is managed sustainably by coppicing.

Very few of the trees have been planted and this

has led to a wonderful woodland community of

plants and animals.

Use this leaflet to discover more

about the native trees that are

found on the Standen Estate.

Estate Walks

If you want to explore beyond Hollybush then try out

some of our other woodland and countryside walks.

Maps are available from Visitor Reception or our website.

You can explore over 100 acres of bluebell woods and

meadowland, part of the original Standen Estate, or go

further into the Ashdown Forest and Bluebell Railway sites.

Thank you for using this walks leaflet. If you have any

comments please contact our Countryside Ranger,

Trudie Jacobs: Trudie.Jacobs@nationaltrust.org.uk

Dogs are welcome on a lead. Please note normal

admission applies to enter the property and car park.

Hollybush Tree Trail

Conserving Our Woodland Our main way of managing the woodland sustainably is

by coppicing. We only work in a small area of the estate

each year to maintain and promote a healthy woodland

regime. At present we are not coppicing or clearing

more than two acres a year across the whole estate,

creating a patchwork of different ages of trees which

benefits the local plants and animals.

The wood material produced is used around the garden

as pea sticks and poles, cut as firewood for Barn Café

and for sale, or turned into charcoal for sale.

The route (approx. 1 mile, 30-45 mins) Can you spot the trees described

and indicated by their leaves?

Start at the kissing gate at the lower (southern) end of the

bottom car park [A]. Turn left once through the gate onto the

path enclosed by hedges.

Follow the path past the picnic area. Stop and see if you can

see the reservoir through a gap in the tree tops. Follow round

to the right [B] as it runs alongside the old Wither Rough field.

As the path divides above the pond take the right-hand fork

and go through a gate [C] leading into the field.

Turn left through the gate and walk ahead to the corner of the

field, through the gate into Hollybush Wood [D] and the start

of the boardwalk.

Follow the boardwalk into the wood, crossing the bridge [E].

Continue along the boardwalk until reaching a bench [F],

where the path doubles back to the right. Take time to sit and

look at the flowers, and listen to the birds living in the wood.

Continue down the boardwalk as it begins to cross and recross

the small stream running through the bottom of the woods [G].

Take a moment to stop and look at the water and mud edge. See if

there are any signs of animals visiting the water for a drink or to

catch insect prey.

Continue along the boardwalk [H] and go straight on up the slope

following the boardwalk which curves round up the bank. There is

another seat halfway up this slope. Turn right on the boardwalk,

and follow on to a wider gravel path. Turn left and carry straight

on up the gentle slope with large pine trees on your left [I].

After 100 yards ignore the path to the right [J], and carry on up the

slope and over a small boardwalk bridge. Continue to a T-junction

and turn right at a fingerpost onto a wider path towards the garden.

Follow the track straight ahead [K], through the gate into the

garden [L] and on to Goose Green, from where the car park can

be seen downhill to the right.

Car park and

start of walk Farm track to

Standen House

and Garden

A

B

C D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

Hollybush

Wood

Wither

Rough