In celebration of trees and woodland, we are supporting London Tree Week (27 May – 4 June 2017), with the help of the Mayor of London.
Boundary tree on Golders Hill Photo P Coles
Stalking Trees: Beating the Bounds 6.30pm-8.30pm Monday 29 May Start (& finish) Golders Green tube station, NW11 7RN (Main exit).
Before the tube created the suburb of Golders Green, this part of London was fairly rural: boundaries were marked by hedgerows and oak trees. Although barely visible today, join keen-eyed urban nature photographer and writer, Peter Coles, to go stalking boundary trees in Golders Green and Hampstead Heath. You will see many trees on this route, spotting the occasional ones that mark a boundary revealing how the area was once sub-divided.
In Golders Hill Park, we will see a line of old Lime trees marking an avenue, a couple of fine old oaks and a wonderful Sweet Chestnut, marking a kink in the parish boundary line. Nearby is an old, collapsed mulberry tree, once next to Golders Hill House, destroyed in the war.
We visit another splendid Sweet Chestnut in The Hill Park before crossing North End Way, by the famous Old Bull and Bush pub, into the West Heath, where there are some amazing grown-out beech coppices and other notable trees. Crossing into the Heath Extension, hedgerows and oaks still mark the field boundaries of a farm that used to be here.
This is a circular route, who you will come back to Golders Green tube station.The route will include walking over uneven surfaces and rough ground, please come prepared.
This is a free event. Suitable for 16+. Children must be accompanied. Capacity is limited, so booking is essential: https://ltw17_stalking_trees_beating-the-bounds.eventbrite.co.uk
This free walkshop has been made possible through the support of the Mayor of London.
Check out other walkshops we are producing for London Tree Week.
We at the Museum of Walking are not “tree huggers” but we do love trees, for we feel that they contribute more to our urban neighbourhoods than they detract. Urban trees are a hardy bunch, able to absorb not only natural hazards, but also man-made pollutants, restoring the quality of air we breathe, and providing habitat for many species of wildlife. Many trees have witnessed significant changes to their surroundings, so as our cities expand, some trees are threatened by development, others are planted to create new vistas, shade and shelter.
For several years, we have been getting people to share their knowledge and stories about trees, and more recently, with the help of urban nature photographer and writer Peter Coles, we have been ‘stalking trees’ to discover more about individual species and specimen, and how they can be photographed in different seasons. You can find out more about our Stalking Trees walkshops here.
Walking in Step with:
