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Continuing along the path, there is a large twin-trunked Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) growing where the path forks, recognisable from its long shiny toothed leaves. Its fissured bark spirals round the trunk, although not all Sweet Chestnuts have this obvious a pattern. Sweet Chestnut is native to the Mediterranean region and was introduced to Britain by the Romans; why is not known, but presumably for its edible nuts and its wood. Much later, particularly in the nineteenth century, many chestnut woods were planted in south east England to produce wood for poles and fencing by coppicing.
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This page last updated: 26/01/2005
