Mindful Minute at Lacock Abbey Rock Bridge

Mindful Minute at Lacock Abbey Rock Bridge, which stands next to the Bide Brook,
which makes its way to the River Avon, Wiltshire.

𝐇𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐋 (𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐩)

Hazel quickly followed the birches in establishing themselves and recolonising Britain after the last ice age. However, they cannot tolerate deep shade and cannot grow tall enough to reach the light (growing up to a maximum of 30 feet), therefore they are likely to be one of the first species you see on the edge of deciduous woodland.

The flowers of Hazel are incomplete, to make up for that, the tree is monoecious, so it has both the male and female flower on the same plant. This differs from plants such as holly where the male flowers are on one individual and the female flowers on a different individual.

The flowers are wind pollinated and without petals. The tiny female flower is enclosed in a series of bracts (photo above) and shows only the stigmas, which are reddish. The male flowers are a bit more obvious as they are catkins, sometimes quite bulky, which dangle down and move in the wind.

They are often multi-stemmed and has been well used in cultivation for coppicing. Hazel famously grows quickly with straight branches that are often used as poles - particularly often for growing peas and beans.

Other uses of hazel include being employed as a 'nurse' species for more commercially valuable species such as walnuts (my breakfast) and cherry. This is due to the strong early growth of hazel, which provides shelter and shade for the main crop - the shade reducing the growth of brambles and other 'weed' species.

Quick to develop roots, layering in the winter is a common way to propagate new plants - however these will be clones and won't increase the gene pool.

The flowers themselves are wind pollinated. If intending to gain a crop, then two pollen-compatible hazel trees must be planted within an orchard or food forest setting, as they are not self-compatible.

While, hazel doesn't have many pests and diseases, the ones it does have seem to concentrate on foliage (deer and livestock) and nuts (grey squirrels / beetles / nut weevils). Protection along with clearing up fallen nuts is an effective way to control pests.

Lacock Abbey Garden: A short wander

Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire is well known as a filming location for the Harry Potter films. However, its story goes much deeper in history than this.

Founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order, it was garrisoned in the English Civil War by Royalists and was eventually turned into a residence. 

One resident that owned this beautiful collection of buildings was none other than William Henry

By William Fox Talbot (1800-1877) -
National Museum of Photography, Film and Television collection,
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4525845

Fox Talbot, a pioneer in the science of photography, inventing the Calotype process. Famously, taking this photo of the Latticed window at Lacock Abbey in August 1835. A positive from what may be the oldest existing camera negative.

These days the Abbey and most of the village are owned by the National Trust. They rent many of the cottages and lease out the village and Abbey for filming of many television series and movies.

Here are a few winter photos of the wonderful gardens that I have enjoyed for many years.

Winter aconites with the Abbey in the background.

Winter honeysuckle with its sultry scent.

The monumental Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani).

Snowdrops

Hellebore

The rock bridge with the Bide Brook flowing over the cascade.

I would recommend anyone with the opportunity to visit this beautiful location that covers so many interests.