There is an impressive row of trees leading north from the A259 towards Ham Manor, midway between and parallel to South Drive and Station Road. I wonder who planted them, and for what purpose? Having delved around in the history pages on this site it looks like they are simply a field boundary, and on the Ham Manor page there is a 1913 map which does not seem to show them. So could they be less than 100 years old?
I was told by a gentleman who has lived in the village for all of his 78 years, that the rows of fir (?) trees were planted to give the sheep who grazed there protection from the elements.
The trees were almost certainly planted by Frederick Savill who owned Ham Manor after 1916 up until 1934 when the estate was sold to Goring Hall Golf Club who later re-named it Ham Manor Golf Club. Land not used by the Golf Club was then sold to Hesketh Estates Ltd who commenced the building of houses.
The row of trees are actually pines. Many of the trees planted down Station Road and along East Drive are Monterey Pines which can be easily distinguished by their three needles rather than two. However, I am aware that other pines in the area (and some down South Drive) are not all Montereys.
The trees to which MrT is referring were planted as a windbreak and can be seen clearly on the 1932 OS Map and, as he correctly says, did not appear on the 1913 OS Map. There were others going south through East Preston. Montereys make very good windbreaks when they are young and are very tolerant to salt air.
I would have thought that the trees would have been put there to protect crops rather than sheep. Sheep were normally grazed on the higher land and grassy slopes.
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Posted - 24 Jan 2010 : 17:25:02
