The Clipsham Yew Trees Walk

Date & start time: Saturday 7th August 2010, 11 am start.

Location of Start : Clipsham Woods, Lincolnshire, Uk ( SK 980 169 )

Places visited : Clipsham's Yew Tree Avenue and the woodland behind.

Walk details : 1 mile, minimal ascent, 1.25 hours.

Walked with : David and Angie, Ann and the dogs, Bailey, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Overcast but dry.

When Angie and Davis suggested a walk at Yew Tree Avenue I imagined a suburban street on the outskirts of Stamford or Peterborough

but it was in fact an invitation to visit a tree lined field, once the approach drive to Clipsham Hall,

a grand manor house a mile or so from their village of Castle Bytham.

The name derives from the nearly 200 Yew trees that line the old avenue

Some of the nearly 200 trees that line the avenue and surround the lodge at the old entrance to the estate.

Not only were they lovingly shaped but many have unusual patterns and insignia carved into the greenery.

A bird sits high above an elephant.	Someone's favourite dog is remembered on this one.

We seem to have gained an extra dog too !

A mad dash around gave the dogs extra exercise on this short morning walk.

David passes a tree with a rather fine reindeer and a peacock shaped out of the topmost branches.

There were many others which commemorated the Queens' jubilee, a Spitfire, a riding hat, a chair, Neil Armstrong's moon landing,

horse shoes, windmills and the initials of the present owner of the estate, Sir David Davenport-Handley DDH.

Angie stops to catch a few photos too.

The topiary was begun in 1870 by the head forester who lived in the lodge at the old entrance to the estate

and the work contuinues on today, organised now by the government department, Forest Enterprise.

AA . . . the initials of Amos Alexander, the estate's head forester when the topiary was first created.

Tthe trees are clipped into shape in September each year.

David and I read the brief and rather faded visitor sign. It gave an introduction to the site and an location of some of the designs.   - - - o o o - - -   There was also an extra sign which the forestry people have put up in an attempt to stop people bagging dog poo and then just leaving the bags as litter in the countryside.   Perhaps theses signs should be more widely used. [ We could do with few at the start of popular dog walks in the Lakes. ]

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Canon 75 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a pair of trained hedge cutters.

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Previous walk - Thurs 5th August 2010 Sailing out of the Orwell River

A previous time near here - Thurs 27th August 2009 Pin Mill and Castle Bytham

For further information on the Avenue click here plus a rather quiet You Tube video by someone else !

Next walk - 11th August 2010 Kings How & the Bowder Stone