A ONE-THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD oak tree rooted in the history of a Borders forest has received a cash boost to preserve it for future generations.
The Capon Tree is the last survivor of the ancient Jed Forest.
It is also one of only 50 included in the Tree Council’s book of Great British Trees.
The ancient oak plays a key role in the Jethart Callant’s Festival during which a sprig from it is pinned on the Callant’s lapel.
But today the tree is ailing with only one of its original three limbs surviving and Jedburgh Community Trust, with support from Jedburgh Callants Club and others, has launched a £15,000 project to help support and preserve the tree and improve the environment around it.
That effort was bolstered on Monday (September 12) when members of Jedburgh Common Good Fund Sub-Committee agreed to a request of £3,000 to help fund the work.
Jim Steele, acting chair of Jedburgh Community Trust, said: “The Capon Tree is a tree of national importance but more particularly it is a tree that is very important to the culture of Jedburgh and it’s part of the Jedburgh Callant’s Festival and it’s well-known to schoolchildren and I think everyone who lives in Jedburgh knows about it.
“It’s an oak tree and the last survivor of the ancient Jed Forest with an age somewhere between 500 and one thousand years old, some of the experts reckon it’s about 700 years old.
“It is dying and the tree is suffering at this moment in time but there are things we can do to help preserve and maintain the tree for future generations and help support its continual involvement within the culture of Jedburgh.
“We’ve had some expert advice over what we can do to help preserve the tree. The key thing is that the surviving single limb of the three limbs that made up the tree at one point needs additional support and a substantial part of the costs that we want to spend are in relation to supporting the surviving limb, to make sure that it is protected from any storms that may happen in the future.
“It is actually more exposed now that the second limb has fallen, leaving the gap from south westerly winds to attack it. If the last limb comes down then the game is over.
“We’d also like to do some work to enhance the environment around the Capon Tree to make it a much more attractive visitor attraction for people, with a wild park meadow around it, to put up some screen fencing to protect it, place some benches around the tree with an information board.”
The committee enthusiastically supported the bid.
Jedburgh councillor Scott Hamilton said: “The Capon Tree is so significant, not only to Jedburgh but to the wider Borders as well. It is a landmark.
“It is right to say that the tree is ailing and heading to a final demise but there a lot of work that can be done to prolong its life.”
Source: bordertelegraph.com
