(8) European Beech
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The Beech tree in Sydney Gardens can be found at the top of the park over to the right side close to the entrance from Sydney Road into the gardens. This Beech tree is large enough to place it as part of Sydney Gardens original planting scheme and may have been part of a beech hedge surrounding the Ride.
The Ride was a surfaced path laid around the inside of the perimeter wall of the gardens, for carriages and horse riders. The Ride was a significant feature of the Georgian Pleasure Garden when first opened on 11th May 1795. Over time the Ride has been replaced with the tennis courts, bowls pitches and other developments in the park.
Although this Beech measuring 30m is impressively tall it has some way to go to reach the height of the tallest Beech recorded in the United Kingdom and Ireland which was measured at 45 m in 2018: this can be found at Willsersley Castle, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. Beech trees have been recorded living for over 1000 years of age.
Beech trees have distinctive smooth, light grey bark. They are monoecious, bearing both female and male flowers on the same tree. The small flowers appear in the spring just after the new leaves; the leaf bud is very pointed in appearance. The female flowers are produced in pairs and the male flowers are wind pollinating catkins.
The fruit of the beech is the beechnut, which develops inside a spikey casing burr, which falls to the ground in the autumn. The beechnuts, roughly triangular in shape, have a high fat content; in the 19th century they were pressed to produce an edible oil, which was also used in lamps. The nuts are also eaten by humans and animals but are slightly toxic if eaten in large quantities due to the tannins and alkaloids they contain.
The Ride was a surfaced path laid around the inside of the perimeter wall of the gardens, for carriages and horse riders. The Ride was a significant feature of the Georgian Pleasure Garden when first opened on 11th May 1795. Over time the Ride has been replaced with the tennis courts, bowls pitches and other developments in the park.
Although this Beech measuring 30m is impressively tall it has some way to go to reach the height of the tallest Beech recorded in the United Kingdom and Ireland which was measured at 45 m in 2018: this can be found at Willsersley Castle, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. Beech trees have been recorded living for over 1000 years of age.
Beech trees have distinctive smooth, light grey bark. They are monoecious, bearing both female and male flowers on the same tree. The small flowers appear in the spring just after the new leaves; the leaf bud is very pointed in appearance. The female flowers are produced in pairs and the male flowers are wind pollinating catkins.
The fruit of the beech is the beechnut, which develops inside a spikey casing burr, which falls to the ground in the autumn. The beechnuts, roughly triangular in shape, have a high fat content; in the 19th century they were pressed to produce an edible oil, which was also used in lamps. The nuts are also eaten by humans and animals but are slightly toxic if eaten in large quantities due to the tannins and alkaloids they contain.
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References
Gazzard, G. A. MSc (2021) wrote the above article with information from the following sources.
Rose, B. BSc (Hons) MSc DipArb(RFS) MICFor RCArborA Chartered Arboriculturist Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant (2020). Bosky Trees, Arboricultural Impact Assessment & Tree Protection Plan for trees at Sydney Gardens, Bath. (Accessed 13/03/21).
White, R. S. PhD (2020). Sydney Gardens: a self-guided walking tour reflecting on botany, empire, reluctant heritage and deep time. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://medium.com/sydney-gardens-bath/sydney-gardens-a-reluctant-heritage-a-walking-tour-reflecting-on-botany-empire-and-deep-time-789d71c0c288
Christian, T. (2019). ‘Fagus sylvatica’. Trees and Shrubs OnLine. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at: treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/fagus/fagus-sylvatica/
Wikipedia: ‘Fagus sylvatica’ (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagus_sylvatica#cite_note-34
Gazzard, G. A. MSc (2021) wrote the above article with information from the following sources.
Rose, B. BSc (Hons) MSc DipArb(RFS) MICFor RCArborA Chartered Arboriculturist Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant (2020). Bosky Trees, Arboricultural Impact Assessment & Tree Protection Plan for trees at Sydney Gardens, Bath. (Accessed 13/03/21).
White, R. S. PhD (2020). Sydney Gardens: a self-guided walking tour reflecting on botany, empire, reluctant heritage and deep time. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://medium.com/sydney-gardens-bath/sydney-gardens-a-reluctant-heritage-a-walking-tour-reflecting-on-botany-empire-and-deep-time-789d71c0c288
Christian, T. (2019). ‘Fagus sylvatica’. Trees and Shrubs OnLine. (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at: treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/fagus/fagus-sylvatica/
Wikipedia: ‘Fagus sylvatica’ (Accessed 13/03/13). Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagus_sylvatica#cite_note-34