Tree surgeon Sam and George the colly
Golden sun rays strike slumbering winter trees as waterfowl carry on regardless
An ancient crack willow (Salix fragilis) tree by the River Bure in Hoveton St John has had its huge overgrown boughs cut for the first time in over 20 years by independent contractors.
Crack willow is so called because of its tendency to split as it grows. The tree is the biggest in a row which has stood on the edge of present day riverside park for probably over a hundred years; dating from the time when the marshy land was agricultural. By custom the stems or wands sprouting from the top (known as pollarding) were harvested each winter and used in basket and furniture making. Willows are also a haven for wildlife.
Fenland has been rigourously managed for hundreds of years, with only a selection of cultivated trees. As farming of reed, sedge and marsh hay from the waterlogged ground (in the upper Broadland river areas) became less profitable in the 1950s, trees were left to grow wild.
The row of willows were captured by many artists and photographers over the years ~ not least romantic Charles Arthur Hannaford who operated the famous Broads Tours boat company. The Hannafords lived in a timber building a few paces away, which also housed a restaurant.
Chris
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