Abstract
A few years ago, a strange piece of oak was dug up from gravel workings along the Trent near Nottingham. This was one of a number of sub-fossil pollards that have now been carbon dated at 3,400 years old. Similar cut trees, pollards and shreds, have been excavated from gravels in the River Meuse in the Netherlands and carbon dated at 1,800 years old. There is much evidence of pollards and cutting trees in works of art (Haeggström 2006). The oldest works of art are frescos from Akrotiri, Greece and two gold cups from a Tholos grave in Vaphio near Sparta, which are now in the National Museum in Athens dated from the fifteenth millennium B.C. Perhaps closer to home, there are the illustrations of pollards being cut in the Bayeux Tapestry and in many other major European works of art. Although it has been a widespread common practice, there is surprisingly little written record of this ancient cultural tradition.
Conservation Adviser, Woodland Trust.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Old growth: stands with more than 200 years’ growth with a continuity of old trees reaching back into the past. Space for Nature. The Woodland Trust (2002).
References
Austad I, Hauge L (2006) Pollarding in Western Norway. 1er colloque europeen sur les trognes, Vendome 26,27 et 28 octubre. www.maisonbotanique.com
Austad I, Hamre LN, Rydgren K, Norderhaug A (2003) Production in wooded hay meadows. In: Tiezzi E, Brebbia CA, Uso JL (eds) Ecosystems and sustainable development, vol 2. Wit Press, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton, pp 1091–1101
Butler J (2010) Ancient, working pollards and Europe’s silvo-pastoral systems—back to the future. Landsc Archaeol Ecol End Tradit 8(2):54–57
Green EE (2001) Pollarding, origins and practical advice. British Wildl 8:100–105
Haeggström C-A (2006) Pollards in art. 1er Colloque europeen sur les trognes, Vendome 26, 27 et 28 octubre. www.maisonbotanique.com
Read HJ (2008) Pollards and Pollarding in Europe. British Wildlife 19(4):250–259
Smith J (2010) Agroforestry: reconciling production with protection of the environment. A synopsis of research literature. Organic research centre, Elm Farm
Wolfe M (2006) Seeing the wood, the treesand the Catch 22. ERFC, www.organicresearchcentre.com
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Butler, J. (2013). Looking Back to the Future: Ancient, Working Pollards and Europe’s Silvo-Pastoral Systems. In: Rotherham, I. (eds) Cultural Severance and the Environment. Environmental History, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6159-9_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6159-9_25
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6158-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6159-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)