Work starts to preserve Ruthin Oak tree legacy

Work is underway to preserve the legacy of a beloved Ruthin park veteran tree.

Storm Darragh recently caused damage to many areas across Denbighshire through high winds, bringing down a number of trees across the county.

At Cae Ddôl park, the storm brought down the much loved estimated 550 year-old Oak which has overlooked the nearby water for generations of Ruthin residents and visitors to enjoy.

To preserve the memory of the Oak for future generations, intricate work is now underway at Denbighshire County Council’s Tree Nursery at St Asaph.

The Council’s Tree Team and Biodiversity Team are leading the way to safeguard the legacy of the old Oak.

Cuttings from the Oak were taken to the tree nursery, which staff aim to propagate (grow on), on site. In time, it is hoped there will be an opportunity to plant the Oak’s progeny around Cae Ddôl and the local area.

A grafting technique has also been used in the hope of producing new trees from the linage of the memorable Ruthin landmark.

As the Oak tree was protected by the site Tree Preservation Order (TPO), the Council has a duty under the TPO legislation to plant a replacement Oak tree in the same (approximate) location, to ensure that the amenity value of the TPO is preserved for future generations. The Council will do this as soon as practicable, when plans for the fallen tree and site are finalised.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, and Biodiversity Champion said: “We know how much this old oak has given to many, many people across years, it provided lots of memories for those visiting the park. At the tree nursery we are working to make sure that although the main tree couldn’t sadly be saved after the storm, its legacy is preserved so possibly one day we can reintroduce its lineage into Cae Ddôl.”

The Council will look to carry out public engagement and information gathering to ensure that Ruthin is involved in deciding what the Oak’s future will be.

Some of the proposed ideas at this time include salvaging as much viable timber from the tree as possible, to be stored and milled for future projects in the park and surrounding area and to leave the tree stump in situ as valuable habitat for local wildlife, or to be carved into a commemorative sculpture at a later date.

Cllr Mellor added: “We understand how beloved this iconic Oak tree is, both locally and internationally, and it is vital that the tree’s memory is honoured in the best way possible, whatever its new role in Cae Ddôl will be.”