Additional photos and information to the Greenhavens article 'Admiring the Beeches at Duke's Walk in Seaford'.

There follows some additional information and photographs to accompany an article on the Greenhavens Network blog

Many of the larger trees along Duke's Walk, which runs along the foot of Rookery Hill at Bishopstone, have buttressed bases to the trunks and exposed roots spreading across the path, some covered by a filigree of small ivy growth, others with large corded vines reaching up into the canopy. Lichens glow in the murky light. 

I have tried measuring the girth of the largest trees, but it is a two- or three-person job. They straddle the flint wall in places, have a halo of bramble and overlook the water-filled channel. Not an ideal lone-working environment! The girth of the trees has swelled not only beyond the collapsing flint wall but also across the lines of barbed wire stock fence built to replace the wall. Some of the trees are slowly absorbing the wire.

Many of the Duke's Walk beeches have buttressed roots and a filigree of ivy growing up the trunks.

The beech trees have outlived a broken, collapsing flint wall, and the wire livestock fence that replaced the wall. Some of the beeches are absorbing the barbed wire into their boles.

Sixty year-old graffiti

One of the most striking features of the elephantine beech trees is the bark, which is smooth like a living vellum. This feature inspired the modernist artist Paul Nash to depict them in lithe, human form in some of his works. The Duke's beeches are tatooed with the work of other artists: young lovers with pen-knives, keen to share their ardour with all who pass. The oldest graffiti has swelled with the growing trees. The earliest discernable date I found is 1961, but other carvings seem older than this. When I first encountered the beeches about 35 or 40 years ago I was told by my friend's father, who had brought us there, that his initials (BG!) were somewhere on one of the trees. The tradition has been maintained through the years: 1975, 1996, 2018. To some this is vandalism; to others an artistic expression of love. 

 

All photographs taken by Steven Teale, November 2020.