The Friends’ of Lewes Tree Committee have produced a leaflet outlining a Lewes Urban Arboretum self-guided tree walk. 17 members of Lewes Footpaths Group assembled on Cliffe bridge to do this walk, led by Alan, identifying and inspecting the trees highlighted in the leaflet. The first ones we came to were two Indian Chestnut Trees outside the Jireh Chapel. These were easy to identify and had interesting chestnuts, whose smooth dull brown shell looked completely different from the prickly green shells of horse chestnuts and sweet chestnuts. The next tree on the list was a Variegated Sycamore on Harvey’s Way. This caused us some difficulty and controversy, as there were several sycamores, which all looked very similar! We then walked along the river by Malling Recreation Ground towards Wiley’s Bridge. Just before the bridge across the Rec was the unmistakable Raywood Ash, which, as described in the leaflet, had “glorious red foliage in Autumn”. Over the bridge, by the Pells pool was the undoubted star of the walk, the stunningly golden Narrow-leafed Ash. The Lucombe Oak in the Pells recreation ground caused much controversy. There are several unusual oaks there and there were differences of opinion, which could not be resolved by various phone apps, as to which one was said Lucombe Oak. From the Pells, we climbed up towards the Castle. At the top of Castle Banks is the Tom Paine Tree, apparently a Copper Beech. Most of us felt that copper beeches were reddish purple throughout the season, but this one apparently only turns reddish purple in Autumn and was only just beginning to do so. From the Castle, we descended the High St, admiring the Pomegranate Tree at the bottom of School Hill and, in the Precinct, noting the Plane Tree and Turkish Hazel, which we have all passed numerous times without really noticing them. We all agreed that the walk had made us more aware of how special the trees are. Some of us adjourned to the Cornish Bakery for coffee to complete a most enjoyable and educational morning. Our thanks to the Friends of Lewes Trees Committee for producing the leaflet, which can be obtained from the Tourist Information or the Climate Hub.

Narrow-leafed Ash by the Pells