The Ankerwycke Yew is, according to tradition, the tree beneath which King John signed the Magna Carta. It certainly could have been – it is old enough and in the right sort of place – but we may never know for sure. It’s a very…
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This yew tree grows on the bank of a small local stream. It’s no ancient giant, but it is a lovely tree nonetheless. Skew indian ink on paper, unmounted (paper 61 x 43 cm) £210
The yew tree portrayed here is on Merrow Down near Guildford, Surrey. It is probably not the largest or the oldest tree at that site (its regularity and lack of visible hollowing suggests a relative youthfulness), but it is, nonetheless, massive. “Behemoth” is a biblical…
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Yew trees are quite odd trees. They evolved earlier than most of the other familiar British trees – oaks or beeches, say – which suggests that their oddities may be ancient traits that other, more modern trees, didn’t need: aerial roots, branches that take root,…
Continue reading Bestiary (Hollow Yew)
This is an oak tree that stands by the side of the main road as it bypasses the village. It is part of a narrow wood that screens the backs of some houses from the traffic. Judging from its size, I’d guess that it is…
Continue reading Entangled
The lofty beech is a common site on the chalk downs of southern England. Its shallow root system clings to the slopes and is often eroded by the elements, revealing a complex lattice. This drawing is a distillation of the many companionable beeches that I…
Continue reading Three Beeches on a Hill
An ancient oak tree, over 400 years old, still marks part of the boundary of Sydmonton Common in north Hampshire. It is an intriguing entity – partially decayed and yet still living (its upper limbs sported green leaves when I first visited the tree in…
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This drawing takes the same viewpoint that I used for the oil painting Embankment. Both pieces are 40 x 50 cm. The painting was done with a knife, and focuses on the colour; the drawing, done with a fountain pen, focuses on tone and detail.…
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This is a hollow oak tree in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire. While it isn’t one of the very special trees there that has been given a name and a sign bearing that name, it is very easy to spot from the path and it is, I…
Continue reading Golden Hollow – SOLD
This third beech tree in Selborne Hanger has a remarkable little cavern beneath its exposed roots, probably due to erosion. The roots form an open lattice – a “filigree” – over the space on the uphill side. The tree is at the foot of the hanger,…
Continue reading Filigree – SOLD