Note that the tree trail is currently a work in progress, last revised 23 April 2024, all feedback welcome.
Introduction to Conyngham Hall Tree Trail
Welcome to Conyngham Hall, a place where history, nature, and tranquillity converge. Explore the rich heritage of this estate, delve into the diverse array of trees, and embark on a journey through time and foliage.
Click here for a pdf of the tree trail. This map has numbers which correspond to those [in square brackets] for the descriptions below. Click here to view the tree trail route on plotaroute which has a variety of files to download including gpx.
Public Access and Facilities
While public access to the hall is restricted, the beautiful grounds are open to all, offering a serene escape. Enjoy free admission and take advantage of amenities such as a large pay-and-display car park, toilets What3Words, and a tea room along the riverside. Once a small stately home, Conyngham Hall is now Council owned & from 1995, run as a business centre, click here to find on OpenStreetMap & click here for a map of the grounds. There is no public access to the hall but admission to the grounds is free. Use post code HG5 9AX for Bond End Knaresborough, or click here for directions via Waze. There are bus stops for the Transdev number 1 bus services at High Bridge (near the main entrance to Mother Shiptons for buses to Harrogate) and Henshaws (for buses to Knaresborough).
Embark on a scenic 1 km trail around the miniature golf course, a delightful path showcasing the beauty of Conyngham Hall.
The trail around the miniature golf course is about 1km (0.6 miles) of mostly tarmac path, slightly uneven in places. Wheel chair access points are at Henshaws and the hall. It follows part of the Conyngham Hall Park Run route and may be busy on Saturday mornings between 9 and 9:30 when over a hundred people regularly participate.
Look out for occasional open-air events, such as the mesmerising performances by the Paradox Orchestra amid the stunning backdrop of our grounds, seen below performing music by Pink Floyd.
There is uncovered bike parking in the main car park next to the riverside information board, at the left side & rear of the hall and also at Henshaws entrance. Note that parking at Henshaws from Monday to Friday is for staff and visitors of the centre and café only. Saturday and Sunday charges (being introduced after 15th April 2024) apply from 6 am to 10 pm. If arriving by rail, take a 5 minute stroll down ‘The Parsonage’. Turning left at the bottom takes you to towards the main car park (down a couple of steps) and heading right onto Bond End goes to Henshaws (no steps). Henshaws provides step free access to the trail.
Many of the trees are over a hundred years old & were planted by the original owners of the Hall.
From the top of the steps ascending from the public car park, you will see on your right a pair of stone gateposts. These lead into the Woodland Walk, an attractive stroll through beech trees via an old Sculpture Trail to Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre. In spring the woods are full of early spring flowers, then bluebells.
History of the grounds
The Halifax Toffee Magnate, Sir Harold Mackintosh (John Mackintosh’s eldest son, famous for the original Quality Street & Rolo), leased the hall and grounds until 1942. He also purchased several pieces of land now called ‘Mackintosh Park’ on the opposite side of the River. He was known to have bred prize Jersey dairy cattle on the estate at that time.
The 18 hole miniature golf course was opened to the public on Whit Sunday, 1947. In more recent times the grounds housed Knaresborough Zoo, which closed in 1985. The bed race crossing of the Nidd finishes at the picnic area towards the end of the car park beyond which the farm ruins still remain.
Audio introduction:
Start the trail
The trail goes past trees and points of interest in the following order, click the link if you need to jump to that section:
The starting point for the trail is from the Main car park, at the top of the steps next to the toilets. We recommend downloading the pdf of the map to your phone or printing as a single sided A4. Click here for a pdf of the tree trail. Note how the trees along the access road to the hall are sometimes planted in adjacent pairs including some Myrobalan Plumbs producing early blossom in February and the Cherry trees above in April.
Alternatively the trail can begin from the Kiosk Cafe or Henshaws
Red Maple & Turkish Hazel
[1] There is a Norway Red Maple, Acer platanoides, ‘Crimson King’ at the bottom of the steps seen here in the summer and just above this a Turkish Hazel without leaves in early March
The Turkish hazel or Turkish filbert, Corylus colurna, typically has a tall straight trunk with smaller limbs. The edible nuts, only found on female trees, are of a smaller size than the common hazel and very hard making them of little or no commercial value. Turkish Hazel are used as a root stock for common hazel cultivars. Below are the nuts and early leaf buds.
Continue to the top of the steps
Maples
[2] On the other side of the fence at the top of the steps you are greeted with one of the many Maple clusters to be found on the golf course, seen here in autumn. Turn left towards the hall and the lime tree below.
Lime
[3] Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees producing a tiny fruit which resembles a pea not related to the Citrus plant of the same name. These appear later in the summer, the left photo below taken in late August. New buds are shown on the right in late February.
The tree is known as Linden in Europe (the famous boulevard in Berlin, Unter den Linden, means ‘under the linden trees’) and Basswood in North America. Honey produced from lime trees is very pale but richly flavoured. The various Common Limes at Conyngham Hall are all between 60 to 100 years old.
Lime audio description:
Western Red Cedar
[4] The picture of the trunk was taken in the summer, the close-up on the right was taken in late February.
This Western Red Cedar is trapped between Yew and Giant Redwood
Thuja plicata, is a high-value wood especially for cladding as the wood contains thujaplicins, a persistant type of chemical substance acting as a natural fungicide. It is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest but has also been naturalised into Britain. It comes from the Thuja rather than the Cedrus genus so its not a true cedar, acquiring its common name from looking similar to smelling like actual cedars. Cedar and juniper wood are very aromatic. The smell can be used to distinguish these from cypress which is more acidic.
Wellingtonia or Giant Sequoia
[5] Giant Redwood, Sequoiadendron giganteum seeds and cuttings were brought from California to the UK by William Lobb in 1853 and the tree was named Wellingtonia in honour of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. They can grow to 95 metres. Fashionable with wealthy Victorians these were probably planted in the late 1880’s. These fall within the cypress, or Cupressaceae (pronounced koo-press-AY-see-ee) conifer family of trees that include juniper and redwoods. 2 Giant Sequoias can be seen at point [5], with two more along this section of path at [10] & [12]. These are all rated as notable trees on the Ancient Tree Inventory. In the autumn months check the ground beneath the trees as fairy ring mushrooms, Marasmius oreades have been known to grow around the base. Look upwards to see if you can spot the relatively small cones of the tree itself.
Wellingtonia audio description:
Coast Redwood
[6] Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens, was originally a native of the coastal strip stretching from Oregon to south of Monterey in California. The tree was introduced to Britain in the 1800’s. In its original habitat it can grow to over 110m in height but in Britain it may only reach half its potential. The cones are tiny and in common with older Coast Redwoods, it has branches extending to the ground. This has also been classified as a notable tree on the Ancient Tree Inventory
Beech
[7] The Beech, Fagus sylvatica, has edible but bitter nuts. These have a Velcro like covering to the husks. Often used to feed livestock, cattle were released into beech woodlands to allow them to feed on the ‘mast’, the collective term for fruit and nuts. Chips of beech wood are used in brewing some beers as a fining agent and also used to smoke Westphalian ham, various sausages and some cheeses. Conyngham has numerous beech trees (mostly along the path parallel to the A59). The one above is the European Beech. For some of the tallest in the country, take a stroll along Beech Avenue at Mother Shipton’s Cave. In the winter beech trees can be identified by the large and long pointed buds. Beech is prone to Summer branch drop and during long dry spells are known to drop sizeable lower branches without much warning. That is why they say you should not camp under a beech tree. Winter buds of the common Beech are long and pointy, slightly larger and wider with more scales than Hornbeam.
Beech audio description:
Continue along the path and checkout the hornbeams on the golf course to your right seen here in the summer and looking very different in early March
Hornbeam
Hornbeam is known for the hardness of its timber, ‘horn’ means ‘hard’ and ‘beam’ was the name for a tree in old English. Alternative common names include ironwood and musclewood; used for chopping blocks, piano hammers, wood screws, coach wheels and cogs for wind and water mills. Hornbeams have been planted in clusters on the golf course.
Walnut
[8] Walnut trees are all in the plant genus Juglans; edible walnuts are usually harvested from cultivated varieties. This tree along the Conyngham hall path is late to leaf. Juglandaceae leafout in spring is tied to photoperiod rather than air temperature. Most experts agree that a combination of temperature and photoperiodic cues is responsible for the timing of budburst in most temperate woody plants. Walnuts are susceptible to frost and this particular tree is so cautious about unfurling its leaves, it will be the last in the area to do so. Dormant buds are shown here in February.
Allelopathy (derived from allelon ‘of each other’ and pathos ‘to suffer’) is a phenomenon of producing biochemicals that influence the germination, growth and reproduction of other organisms. Although walnut trees produce allelopathic chemicals, the claim that ‘nothing grows under walnut trees’ is not fully accurate and at least the grass is tolerant of the tree above.
Off to the right of the path at the edge of the golf course are a trio of Himalayan birch,
Birch
There are several plantings of groups of young birch trees around the course
The bark of Himalayan birch, Betula utilis, was used centuries ago in India as paper for writing lengthy scriptures and texts. Its use as paper for books is mentioned by early Sanskrit writers. If it has papery bark, its probably a Birch. The wood, with its low water content, has a reputation of burning quickly and the oil containing bark is used as kindling. The attractive stand of Himalayan Birch on the miniature golf course is probably 15 to 20 years old. The photo of the buds was taken in February. See also, Woodland Trust: A year in the life of a Silver Birch
Birch audio description:
Ginkgo
[9] Explore the last living species of the Ginkgo family, known for its distinctive two-lobed leaves.
Ginkgo biloba, native to China & commonly known as Ginkgo, Gingk or the Maidenhair tree, is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. The scientific name ‘biloba’ refers to the two-lobed leaves. This tree next to the path is recently planted and may reach a height of 20–35 m (66–115 ft). Male trees are usually chosen for cultivation as the female trees bear foul-smelling fruit when the fleshy seed coat decays. The buds shown here are in late February.
[10] Go past another Giant Sequoia until you reach the Weeping Beech
Weeping Beech
[11] The Weeping beech, Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’, is shown here during the summer and in close up with a few husks of the outer shell still holding on in November.
[12] Go past the final Giant Sequoia to find the Monkey Puzzle tree below
Monkey Puzzle Tree
[13] Native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina, the Monkey Puzzle Tree, Araucaria araucana also known as the Chilean pine, can live to around 1,000 years old & was introduced into Europe from around 1850. Whitby Jet is the anaerobically fossilized wood from species similar to the Monkey Puzzle tree approximately 180 million years old.
There are are two Puzzle trees in the hall grounds; the obvious one above and another more noticeable in winter, hiding near the corner of the tennis courts closest to The Kiosk at point [22]
Monkey Puzzle audio description:
Yew
[14] The potential age of yew, Taxus baccata, is difficult to determine accurately but is one of the longest-living plants in Europe. It is able to split under the weight of advanced growth without succumbing to disease in the fracture. All parts of a yew plant are toxic to humans with the exception of the yew berries, however, their seeds are toxic. The best long bows were self bows, a bow made from a single piece of wood. Yew is the preferred wood for longbows in particular yew that has higher cellular density from trees grown at altitude. Italian yew was prized over English yew for this reason. From about 1350 onward, demand for yew in England had outstripped supply. Hazel, Ash and Laburnum were also used but more often for practice bows.
Yew audio description:
The path joins the access road to the hall. Either side has a mature Cedar of Lebanon.
Cedar of Lebanon
[15] This Cedar of Lebanon is likely to be more than 100 years old and produces cones around the age of 40. The oils & resin of Cedrus libani conifers were used in mummification by the Ancient Egyptians. It is the national emblem of Lebanon appearing on its flag and coat of arms. Now rare in its native Near East it was often planted for dramatic effect, seen here in the background with its typical flat top above Conyngham Hall. The Lebanon cedar blooms when it reaches 25-30 years old, the catkins seen here were still on the tree in November. This particular tree rates as a notable tree on the Ancient Tree Inventory.
Cedar was once a scarce and valued building material. The Epic of Gilgamesh has a significant scene in the cedar forests of Mesopotamian mythology. Although protected by a demigod, Gilgamesh and Enkidu cut down the cedar forest. Unfortunately deforestation is not just clay tablet fiction from 2000 BC. The Royal Forest of Knaresborough once had at least three hunting parks within its bounds. To restore 30 acres, a local community owned woodlands project, Long Lands Common, was successfully created. Recently the Knaresborough Forest Park campaign enabled another 61 acres of farmland to be bought and these two schemes are to form a partnership. Volunteers & demigods always welcome.
Cedar of Lebanon audio description:
Take a short detour to the left to find the Whitebeam just before the hall gates.
Whitebeam
[16] Sorbus aria, Common Whitebeam, is rarely found in the wild but is a popular ornamental tree in parks and gardens; its fruit is a favourite of garden birds. Whitebeam grows well on poor soils such as coal spoil sites & its deep root system makes it resistant to drought. The one above can be found just inside the gates to the hall. Buds in March and young leaves with white hairs and small domed flower clusters in April shown below.
Although considered a hardy ‘utility’ tree often planted by councils, it can be trained into an ornamental tree, like these clipped Whitebeams at Dunrobin castle in Scotland.
Also found in parks and streets is the Swedish Whitebeam, Sorbus intermedia, believed to be a hybrid of members in the Sorbus family; Common Rowan, Sorbus aucuparia, Wild Service tree, Sorbus torminalis and Common Whitebeam. This one can be found on the Harrogate Stray.
Go back past the Cedar of Lebanon and explore the garden area to the side of the house.
Grafted Cherry
[17] Prunus, a genus of more than 400 species of flowering shrubs and trees in the rose family includes plums, peaches, apricots, almonds and many Cherry species. The hall garden beds are currently being restored but this Kansas Sweet cherry tree Prunus ‘Kanzan’ , a pink flowering cross between a sweet and sour Japanese cherry was planted as part of the original design. Grafting, used by most commercial growers, is the most reliable and cost effective way to propagate sweet/sour cherry trees. Wild cherry or other hardy varieties are used for rootstocks as the resulting grafted sweet cherry is then more resilient, producing fruit at a younger age and continues to fruit for decades longer.
Cherry and Plum trees are known to sucker freely. Suckers are growths that appear from the root systems or stock. In the above case, wild cherry leaves of the root stock are visible and if not removed may eventually produce fruit and would spoil the overall growth of the grafted tree.
Deodar cedar
[18] After passing the front of the Hall look out for a deodar cedar on your left. Cedrus deodara is also known as Himalayan cedar or just deodar. Despite being a softwood tree, it has strong rot resistant timber. Because of its appearance, deodora cedars are often used as a specimen trees in parks and large gardens. Its also the national tree of Pakistan and a ‘true’ cedar along with Cedar of Lebanon and Atlas cedar. There are many North American ‘cedars’ which have ‘cedar’ in their common names which are not taxonomically cedars, such as Western/Eastern red cedar and others with botanical similarity from the genus of Thuja, Chamaecyparis orJuniperus. There is a younger example on the Golf course.
Dead trees at the Kiosk Cafe
[19] The Kiosk at Conyngham, open for weekends in the summer (check their Facebook link for times) sits near the remains of a fallen beech & nestles in a space where tall trees once grew. Other old trunks are still standing their ground just behind the cafe. Standing dead and dying trees, often called snags, need to be retained. They are important for wildlife, insects & fungi. Exceptional events such as the 1976 drought can suddenly increase the amount of standing dead trees & following the 1987 storm, the quantity of fallen dead wood within unmanaged forests in eastern England may have doubled. Although wonderful for owls, snags are often hollow and unpredictable while felling, so considered dangerous by loggers. Detached or broken limbs & tree tops are even more dangerous. Known as widowmakers, these account for 11% of all fatal chainsaw accidents, snags account for another 8%.
Wood Fungi
Many types of fungi grow on rotting wood, more commonly found in the wetter autumn months. Look out for the dead twigs & branches of broad leaved trees such as beech. The white examples above are Osterlings, Crepidotus variabilis. ‘Variabilis’ suggests its shape and colour are both variable and the symmetrically kidney-shaped example shown here has been found under ideal conditions in October. The yellow example is known as Lemon disco, Bisporella citrina, a colourful wood-rotting fungus with a preference for hardwoods. Both are common in the area along with turkeytail. This is a small, tough, widedspread bracket fungus that grows in tiered layers on dead wood. Mostly seen on hardwood, such as beech or oak, it was found here on the dead wood of a living willow in March with other smaller fungi present.
The Kiosk
The Kiosk has been enhanced during feva 2023, by local artist Sam, seen below adding a stunning Kingfisher and Woodland Mural. Note another dead tree to the left of The Kiosk.
Blue Atlas Cedar
[20] Cedrus Atlantica Glauca can cope with dry and hot conditions better than most other conifers. It is native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco but this one overlooks the Kiosk Cafe next to the tennis courts.
The trail continues past the First tee sign
[21] Keep to the left past the collection of pet headstones, then right onto the main path.
Another headstone can be found to Jessie beneath a pair of cypress trees near the beach (The Bed Race river exit point). This is not on the tree trail but only a short distance from the end of the car park extension loop. This is a false cypress (of which there are many variations) in the genus Chamaecyparis (pronounced ‘kam-ee-SIP-ar-is’), the common name is ‘false cypress’ and although confusing is easier to say than Chamaecyparis and distinguishes these from related cypresses.
[22] Continuing along the trail to point will take you past the second Monkey Puzzle Tree that has lost its lower branches and gained more height to compete with the adjacent trees.
An old English belief is that a Devil sits in Monkey Puzzle trees and people have to be quiet when walking past or else they will attract the Devil’s attention and bad things, including growing a monkey’s tail, could occur.
In fact, the reference to Monkeys followed a remark that “It would puzzle a monkey to climb that” and the names “monkey-puzzler” and then “monkey-puzzle” took hold.
More scientific thought is that the spiky leaves evolved not to deter monkeys but rather the grazing dinosaurs of the Mesozoic era of 250 million years ago and anything with a delicate tongue that followed afterwards.
Water sprouts
Just beyond the grave stones can be found a Lime tree with an excessive number of suckers
Suckers and water spouts can appear on any tree but are more noticeable on trees that have experienced stressful conditions. Suckers are shoots that arise from below the surface in the root system and can appear a couple of feet from the trunk. Water sprouts are shoots that arise from latent buds located on both the trunk and branches. The Lime tree above, seen here in March before the shoots leaf, has an abundant number of both.
Shoots growing from a dormant bud below the bark are known as epicormic and tend to grow straight out from the trunk (epicormic is derived from from epi ‘upon’ + Greek kormos ‘tree trunk’).
Anything that distorts the hormone balance of the tree can give rise to the outgrowth of epicormic shoots although there is some evidence that genetics especially in Limes is a factor.
Italian Alder and Poplar
The smaller trail path now joins the wider lane that runs from the hall past the back of the Kiosk going past an Italina Alder (shown here in March on the right, behind the fence) and a Poplar. Italian Alder Alnus cordata produces valuable reddish-orange wood is highly durable when kept wet as it does not rot in water or if kept dry. When left waterlogged its strength increases and was widely used in foundations for the construction of Venice. Its similar to the native Alder Alnus glutinosa, check out A year in the life of an Alder
Ash
[23] One of the most common trees in the UK, Fraxinus excelsior has black, velvety buds that open into leaves arranged opposite each other.
The wood of choice for making tools handles and oars it has a low water content so burns well, even unseasoned. Its fireside virtues are celebrated in the Firewood Poem by Celia Congreve “ash wet or ash dry, a king shall warm his slippers by”.
Ash dieback, a serious disease of European ash was first detected in about 1995. Trees lose their leaves as the crown dies back & with time the tree usually dies. Unfortunately this is wide spread & present along the Nidd Gorge. Also known as Chalara dieback, this is caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. For more on fighting tree disease click here. See also, Woodland Trust: A year in the life of an Ash.
Jubilee Way
The trail passes a railing fence that was once the area used as the Knaresborough Zoo.
[24] Look out for another dead tree pictured above in November, that leads to a Horse Chestnut tree at the edge of the golf course. Conifer tuft, Hypholoma capnoides, was found on the fallen beech tree. The conifer tuft grows well on stumps of spruce or pine and occasionally beech too. These are similar to Sulphur Tuft but without the green/olive tint to the gills. Although this tree is safe, a fallen tree can still be dangerous if it has a significant root plate. This is the combined mass of root material and soil that can sometimes remain intact on a fallen tree. Soil-root plates are a heavy anchor for the tree. If intact after falling, this maintains a significant tension in the trunk, making it dangerous to cut into. In some case trees have been known to spring back into place.
Frans Fontaine
[25] There are 11 Frans Fontaine (above on the right), the narrowest Carpinus betulus cultivar of Hornbeams planted by Knaresborough in Bloom for the Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 opposite the cherry trees. Frans Fontaine are a smaller variety of those found on the golf course. The buds are similar but smaller than the more cigar shaped buds of the Beech tree.
Cherry trees
[26] Continue along the side of Henshaws with Cherry trees on one side and the Frans Fontaine Hornbeam on the other seen above in April. Below are the Cherry buds in winter waiting to turn into blossom, then beginning to open in late March reaching full bloom in April.
Native wild/bird cherries although edible tend to be small and bitter. The Romans probably brought the first sweet cherries to England, however, growing a cultivated tree from the seed is difficult. Many sweet cherry varieties are self-incompatible, (cannot pollinate their own kind), so growers also place a different variety nearby. Avoid eating the cherry pits, bark, leaves and stem — these parts of the plant can be toxic. Swallowing a pit won’t cause any harm but never chew on or eat a crushed cherry pit. If you can spit a cherry pit more than 28.5 meters you should try for the Guinness Book of Records.
Some of the trees in this area have contributed to the National Tree Seed Project and are tagged UKNTSP, including this bird cherry on the Nidd Gorge.
The Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex, managed and coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, holds seeds from nearly all the UK’s native trees and plants. If you like wild cherry trees, take a stroll along the Harrogate Ringway as it passes through the Gorge.
The trail turns right at Henshaws entrance past the Squirrel.
Trees of Squirrel Corner:
Squirrel Corner (well known to Park Runners) is by the entrance of Henshaws where there are also toilets, a cafe and a shop selling beautiful handmade pieces including cards, jewellery and garden accessories. The closest defibrillator along the trail is to the right of the Henshaws entrance, What3Words.
Emily’s Squirrel was carved by Tommy Craggs and installed in May 2013, it forms part of an old sculpture trail inspired by the Wind in the Willows, a favoured suggestion from Emily.
Simon-Louis Frères
[27] Acer pseudoplatanus is a variegated form of the common Sycamore commercialized by the nursery Simon-Louis Frères . Young foliage emerges with salmon pink and red variegation turning green with cream splashes and streaks in the summer (as seen above in June and below in April) then to golden and bronze in the autumn.
The video on the more common Field Maple, Woodland Trust: A year in the life of a Field Maple may be of interest.
Holly
[28] The common or Christmas Holly, Ilex aquifolium is used for Harry Potter’s wand (add a Phoenix tail feather for it to become magical, although unicorn hair & dragon heartstring also work). Other varieties can be found within the grounds. The Latin word aquifolium means ‘sharp leaf’ although not all have sharp leaves like the one at ‘Squirrel corner’, Ilex Camelliifolia, where only the young leaves are prickly. The berries are slightly toxic to humans with the fruit only appearing on female plants, including ‘Golden King’. A once common form of Birdlime (an adhesive substance used in trapping birds) was made from boiled holly bark and nut oil. The practice of ‘Glue Hunting’ birds was ruled to be illegal in the EU by the European Court of Justice in March 2021.
Snakebark Maple
[29] Not all Maples have the classic leaf shape found on Canada’s national flag. Acer, the genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maple, has a wide variation in the leaf shape, size and colour. There are Paperbark Maples in addition to the Snakebark variety seen here.
This Acer capillipes flowers on short floral stalks & originates from Asia. The later photo below shows the classic ‘helicopter’ seeds in late August, although the seeds are smaller than those of the Sycamore Maple, seen here side by side with the smaller Snake Bark seeds to the left.
Take a slight detour towards the A59 to check out the plaque.
Blue Plaque
[30] The gate post off the A59/Bond End leading to Squirrel Corner has a blue plaque giving some history to the Zoo, its only a few yards off the trail so take a look if you did not enter via this gate. Go back and turn left after the Maple to find the Willow.
Willow
[31] Of the genus Salix, willows comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids). Tough roots have a tenacity to live, and readily sprout from aerial parts of the plant. Willow bark has been used as a traditional medicine for thousands of years. The active agent within willow bark was salicin, which would later form the basis of the discovery of aspirin (after joint scientific efforts by members of the Bayer pharmaceutical division). Salix Viminalis is the osier or basket willow most used for weaving. This willow is probably Salix babylonica or one of its many cultivars. None of these are native but have been cultivated for millennia.
Sessile Oak
[32] Quercus petraea, commonly known as the Sessile, Durmast, Cornish or Irish Oak, has stalked leaves and stalkless (sessile) acorns. Like all oaks, it produces a hard timber that is used in construction but it takes over 100 years before its ready to use. It is the main forest tree on the thinner acid soils of northern and western Britain. The leaf buds seen here are in early March.
For more on Oaks, check out Wood Wise, Iconic Oak from the Woodland Trust
Turkey Oak
[32] Quercus cerris, was introduced from south-east Europe. Its timber does not weather as well as other oaks. Along with the common oak, the turkey oak is susceptible to the knopper gall wasp. The larvae grow within the galls, causing a partial or complete distortion of the buds and acorns. The buds seen here in early March are healthy.
Sycamore
[33] The path back to the car park has well developed Sycamores to the right. Acer pseudoplantanus also known as Great Maple, European Sycamore, Sycamore Plane, and Sycamore Maple. Sycamore & Maple are both Acers. It is possible to tap Sycamore for syrup, however, the yield and sweetness are lower than that of sugar maples.
The maple syrup industry is based entirely on one genus (Acer) and almost entirely on one species Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, a species like Sycamore, in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. The main sap producing trees are maples, birches, and walnuts. Sap is a source of food for aphids that leave behind tacky honeydew, a sugar laden fluid excreted by some plant sucking insects. When these populations increase, honeydew may drip from the trees so at those times of the year… don’t park your car under a maple/sycamore/birch tree. See also, Woodland Trust: A year in the life of a Sycamore
The path is lined with many mature beech trees. Look out for further Lime and Cherry.
Walnut
[34] Difficult to see from the path and leaning towards the golf course is a second Walnut. 2023 was a good year for walnut crushing. Most walnuts crushed by hand in one minute = 329 (September 2023), by the head = 273 (April 2023) & using your teeth = 30 (March 2023). There are also records for using the elbow, bottom and a nunchaku (martial arts chain or chuka sticks) but no record for using a nut cracker. KiB only endorses using a nut cracker and even then only after reading the operating instructions and while wearing appropriate PPE. China currently has the largest production share of walnuts worldwide, creating half of the global production.
Purple Plum
[35] Prunus cerasifera is the purple-leaf ornamental plum, an early flowering form of Cherry Plum, popularly planted as a street tree in post war Britain. It is native to Southeast Europe and Western Asia. Cherries and Plums both belong to the genus Prunus in the Rose family Rosacaea. If it has round buds with one blossom per bud, its a Plum; an oval bud with multiple blossoms per bud then its a Cherry. If its noticeably fragrant then it is also a Plum. This picture was taken in early March.
The path turns to the right once more. After passing the stone gate posts you are at the top of the steps where the trail began. If you started at the Kiosk Cafe or Henshaws then click here to jump to the start. Before arriving at the gate posts, it is possible to turn right after the Plum tree, past the Sycamores and onto the Golf Course to explore more trees. Meander across the green and exit either side of the tennis courts to extend the trail. Return past the front of the hall through the gate posts and along the tree lined access road to the car park entrance. Alternatively, end the trail here and head back to the car park down the steps. There are toilets at the bottom of the steps. Also, check out the tree carving at the end of the car park on the river side.
Trees of the Golf Course:
The grass can be soggy in places during the winter months. The trail goes past trees in the following order; click the link if you need to jump to that section:
Chestnut
[36] Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa, is only distantly related to horse chestnut. The Latin sativa means ‘cultivated’. Ancient Greeks referred to the “nut from Castanea” in Pontus and the “nut from Castana” in Thessaly, both places probably named after the trees that grew there which produces ‘cast’ nuts. This species was probably introduced to the region during the Roman occupation.
Bitter when raw, once cooked, chestnuts acquire a sweet flavour and a floury texture similar to the sweet potato. This Chestnut on the golf course may be one of the oldest trees in the hall grounds. A closer look at the trunk reveals its older than it looks from a distance. This particular tree rates as a notable tree on the Ancient Tree Inventory
The Water Chestnut is not a nut but rather an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes; its an edible corm that happens to be chestnut shaped.
Sweet Chestnut audio description:
Frans Fontaine
Frans Fontaine Hornbeam row but seen from the Golf Course
Coast Redwood surrounded by Birch
[37] Heading uphill after the Sweet Chestnut, keeping the bunker to the left is another Sequoia sempervirens, also known as California redwood. Difficult to spot in the summer above, it is surrounded by 6 birch trees that have shed their leaves in the autumn picture below.
Horse Chestnut
[38] The slightly poisonous conker or Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum is in a different family to the edible, often roasted Sweet Chestnut. The larvae of the horse chestnut leaf miner is a common pest and bores within the leaves causing them to brown and fall prematurely. The picture above on the right shows this tree going brown in September while all the other trees are still green. If interested see more on the Leaf Miner from the Woodland trust
History of the common name is vague; suggestions include horseshoe shaped leaf scars and conkers fed to horses to prevent them from coughing; however, sweet chestnuts are used in horse feeds so also have horsey connections. Some suggest ‘horse’ denotes size or strength, similarly adopted in the naming of horseradish. We do know ingesting conkers at high doses can affect the central nervous system of dogs, horses and humans so don’t eat them.
The horse chestnut tree is a symbol of Kyiv and were probably imported to the city from Hungary in the early 1800s. In England during World War I, manufacture of acetone (by the biotech Weizmann process), originally required maize or potatoes but was modified to use acorns and conkers as a locally available source of starch. Acetone had been previously imported and was needed by the war effort to manufacture Cordite.
Woodland Trust: A year in the life of a Horse Chestnut may be of interest. Here is the same tree in November.
Young Deodar
[39] Its name was derived from the Sanskrit word ‘devadāru’, a compound of deva for god and dāru for wood, meaning wood of the gods, then shortened to the common Indian name ‘deodar’. When young they develop like Fir trees and have a Christmas tree shape but branch out further with age, like the ones near the KIosk.
In the centre of the green can be seen a single Norway Maple
Norway Maple
Acer platanoide, often planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens, the Norway Maple was introduced to the UK from its native range of eastern and central Europe in the 17th century. The roots tend to be shallow and easily out compete nearby plants for nutrient uptake so this one is well placed out on its own in the centre of the green with only daffodils for company.
Eucalyptus
[40] Eucalyptus is a genus of over seven hundred species, mostly native to Australia, where the wood is used to make didgeridoos & koalas feast on the leaves. This eucalypt can be found at the corner of the tennis court, shying away from the adjacent great Oak.
Common Oak
[41] Common Oak Quercus robur was sacred to many gods including Zeus, Jupiter, Dagda, Perun and Thor. Each of these gods ruled over thunder and lightning. Oak trees are prone to lightning strikes as they are often the tallest living feature in the landscape. In England the oak has for centuries been a national symbol of strength and survival & the festive Yule Log was traditionally cut from Oak. See also, Woodland Trust: A year in the life of an Oak. This has also been classified as a notable tree on the Ancient Tree Inventory.
Oak audio description:
Once past the Oak you can rejoin the path to the front of the hall and Kiosk and return along the access road to the car park.
Further Information on Trees
Observatree aims to protect the UK’s trees, woods and forests from new and introduced pests and diseases, including those arriving and those spreading across the country. Click here for a list of the most commonly encountered and sign up for their news letter.
Did you know, the Woodland Trust holds the UK’s longest biological data set? Its citizen science project, Natures Calendar, has records since 1736 including trees leafing, tinting and going bare. Click here for details of their research program.
Tree Equity Score UK is a web based application showing urban tree distributions. Click here to check out your area and see if it requires some people-focused investment. Tree Equity Score UK combines information from a variety of sources to create a single measure from 0 to 100—the lower the score, the greater the need for investment.
There are two Veteran Trees to be found on the opposite side of the river from the hall. Check out our Foolish Woods Trail, a short circular walk starting and finishing at the main Conyngham hall car park.
Tree planting
Knaresborough in Bloom has provided some new trees to be planted by volunteers in the Nidd Gorge. The trees are being planted in co-operation with the Knaresborough Nidd Gorge Conservation Group in and around Mackintosh Park. They are all native species including oak and mountain ash. We hope they will enhance the area for many years to come.
License
This version of the Conyngham Hall Tree Trail is licensed as free cultural work. All photos and trail content should be attributed to KiB Contributors. Descriptive text has been improved using OpenAI (2023) ChatGPT-3.5. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
KNARESBOROUGH IN BLOOM 
