Ancient Tree Is Celebrated In Art At Westonbirt Arboretum

A sculpture celebrating one of Britain's oldest trees - known as the historic 2000 Year Old Lime - will be created at the Forestry Commission's National Arboretum at Westonbirt.

The Forestry Commission has commissioned renowned artist and sculptor Richard Harris to create the installation.

Harris will use material cut as part of the lime's management process of coppicing; the practice of cutting a tree back to its stumps periodically to allow healthy stems to re-grow whilst keeping the original tree alive.

The sculpture will incorporate hundreds of stems cut from the 2000 Year Old Lime in November 2012, some up to 15 metres in height, to create what looks like one large tree - reflecting the size many visitors assume the ancient tree to be.

Artist Richard Harris commented:

"I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with the coppiced stems of this precious ancient tree."

"On coming across this small leafed lime for the first time I was struck by the sheer bulk of material on the ground following the coppicing process. I plan to work with this great physical mass to give a real sense of the age and scale of the tree."

"The sculpture will re-configure the cut wood into an equivalent vision of a tree of a similar age; giving visitors an element of what they expect from a 2000 year old tree."

Ben Oliver, the Forestry Commission's Learning and Interpretation Manager at Westonbirt commented:

"We are thrilled to be working with such an established artist on this project."

"The sculpture will provide a bold, visual link between the old, original tree and the new life that will spring forth as a result of the coppicing. It will help Westonbirt to tell the story of the 2000 Year Old Lime and celebrate the place coppicing has in the history of woodlands."

It is the traditional woodland management skill of coppicing that has allowed the lime to live for so long.

Work starts to build the sculpture on Monday 25 February and will last approximately three weeks.