Arboricultural survey  of bruce Castle Oak

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Bruce Castle Oak, Tottenham:
Condition, Landscape Assessment and Management Recommendations


Prepared at the request of Woodland Trust on 25 May 2019
By Luke Steer BSc.(Hons), Dip.Arb.(RFS), F.Arbor.A. MICFor.

To download the Conclusions of the Report (as seen below) click here
To download the Full Report click here

Picture
BRUCE CASTLE OAK, TOTTENHAM, LONDON: Condition, Landscape Assessment and Management Recommendations
Prepared at the request of Woodland Trust on 25 May 2019
 
CONCLUSIONS
My observations of Bruce Castle Oak, and my conclusions, are summarised below.
 
• I inspected Bruce Castle Oak on 17 December 2018.
 
• I consider that it is in the ‘Ancient’ age class and I measured it to be 16.5m high.
 
• The trunk diameter of Bruce Castle oak is 207.5cm at its narrowest point, which is at an angle between heights of 1.2m to 1.7m above ground level.
 
• The trunk diameter of Bruce Castle Oak, a sessile oak (Quercus petraea), is larger than others recorded in the Tree Register of Britain and Ireland (TROBI) database for this species in Greater London.
 
• I assessed Bruce Castle Oak to be in the ‘Moderate Vitality’ health class.
 
• There are relatively few epicormic shoots growing on Bruce Castle Oak.
 
• I consider that Bruce Castle Oak poses a low level of risk. If it were to fail during an extreme windstorm, I consider that few people will be near it, so the associated risk of harm is low.
 
• I recommend that plant or vehicles should not drive within 30m of Bruce Castle Oak.
 
• I recommend that there should be no excavations within 30m of Bruce Castle Oak.
 
• I consider that there is a risk that the soil within Bruce Castle Park is compacted and sub-optimal for healthy tree growth. The risk of soil compaction may be higher near to Bruce Castle Oak because it is the largest tree in the park and an obvious attraction. I recommend that the soil should be assessed for:
     • texture;
     • bulk density;
     • pH;
     • organic matter content; and
     • mineral nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium).
 
• Results from the soil analysis will guide soil management. If the soil is compacted to near or above the root growth limiting densities shown in Figure 1, work may be required to de-compact it.
 
• Mineral content of foliage gives an indication about whether roots and associated mycorrhizal fungi are obtaining sufficient amounts of these for healthy tree growth. Forest Research are able to assess foliage for mineral nutrients.
 
• Trees that grow to cast shade onto Bruce Castle oak should be felled or pruned.
 
• I recommend that other old trees growing within Bruce Castle Park should be surveyed and added to the Ancient Tree Inventory (https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ accessed 21/05/19). This could be done by volunteers.
 
• Due to the national importance of Bruce Castle Oak, its size and location in a historically public park, I recommend that it should be inspected every one and a half years and after tree altering weather events, such as drought, extended periods of summer waterlogging, or windstorms, by a suitably qualified, experienced and insured arboriculturist.
 
Luke Steer BSc.(Hons), Dip.Arb.(RFS), F.Arbor.A. MICFor.
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In Tottenham seven trees were planted in a ring over 400 years ago for reasons lost in time; the Seven Sisters area and the underground station are named after them. The seven trees have been replanted a number of times, always by seven sisters. 

The Tottenham Trees logo, shown on the right, is a silhouette of the Bruce Castle Oak with the logo of the Charter for Trees, Woods and People launched in November 2017, on the 800th anniversary of the Royal Charter of the Forest.

Picture
  • Tottenham Trees
    • Winter Tree blog: Evergreen trees
    • Trees in Tottenham (Galleries) >
      • Tottenham trees (A-D common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (E-K common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (L-R common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (S-Z common name)
    • Special trees in Tottenham >
      • Bruce Castle Oak >
        • Arboricultural survey
        • Reminiscences of the Bruce Castle Oak
        • Calling Tree >
          • Calling Tree: gallery
      • Mulberry tree
      • Seven Sisters
    • Tottenham parks >
      • St Ann's Redevelopment
    • Tottenham Tree Trails
    • Archive >
      • Celebrating Trees 2023
      • #HaringeyFavouriteTrees 2022
      • #HaringeyFavouriteTrees 2021
      • Tree Charter Day 2019 >
        • Legacy Oak Ale
      • Tree Charter Day 2018
      • Tree Charter Day 2017
      • 800 year Charter anniversary
      • Calling Tree: Tottenham
      • London Tree Week 2017
      • London Tree Week 2016
      • Other Tottenham tree events
    • Who we are >
      • Postcards and Bags
  • About Trees
    • Threats to our trees
    • Tree Identification
    • Stephen's Tree Quizzes >
      • Celebrating Trees 2023 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees 2023
      • Celebrating Trees 2019 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees 2019
      • Celebrating Trees 2018 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees
      • Lazy Sunday Tree Quiz >
        • Answers: Lazy Sunday
    • Global Tree Calendar
    • Charter for Trees >
      • Charter history
      • Charter Principles
      • Independent Panel on Forestry
  • Urban Trees
    • Growing trees from seed
    • iTree surveying
    • Street Trees for Living
    • Tree care
    • Tree packs for free
    • Tree planting
    • Trees in the Townscape
  • Inspirations
    • Trees in Art from Tottenham
    • Trees in Words from Tottenham >
      • From the Sycamore Gap
      • Message on leaves
      • Nothing
      • Ode from the Oak
      • Of this tree
      • Poetry@The Room 2024 >
        • Little Ol' Me
        • The Elder
      • Poetry @ The Room 2017 >
        • Epping
        • Under the Elder Tree
      • Poetry Sunday @ Bruce Castle
      • It's a Word Thing!
    • Wangari Maathai >
      • Green Belt Movement
      • Institute and Foundation
      • First Seven Trees
      • Remembering Wangari
      • Kenya
    • Felix Finkbeiner >
      • Plant for the Planet >
        • 3 Point Plan
    • Chico Mendes
    • Chipko Movement
    • Inspiring stories from around the world
  • Green Spaces
    • Other Haringey Green Spaces
    • London Friends of Green Spaces
    • London National Park City
    • Parks cafe trail
    • The Conservation Volunteers
    • Future Forest