Walking with trees

With the Queen celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, walkers in Montgomery have made a timely health check on a tree-planting project that marked Her Majesty’s 50 years in 2002.

The avenue of lime trees was planted by Montgomery residents in 2002 to mark the Millennium and the Golden Jubilee.

Various families in the town contributed and planted 47 trees along the public footpath through the Lymore Estate (pictured).

The trees have thrived to form a beautiful feature leading the eye to the spectacular and ever changing view of Corndon, and is fondly known as the Millennium Walk.

This is a well-used route by residents and also the route into town for walkers on Offa’s Dyke Path, and after 20 years, several trees have outgrown their supports.

Last week Phil Ward and Lottie Glover, of Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trusts respectively,  joined a number of residents and Town Councillors for a walk along the avenue and gave a fascinating description of the huge variety of wildlife now supported.

One tree that had suffered a hedge-cutting accident has turned out to become the best in the avenue for a wide variety of beetles.

Phil recommended that it was now time to remove the supports and reduce the guards in height so as not to impede natural growth despite sheep regularly grazing the fields rubbing against the trunks which can remove the bark and result in disease.

The work will now be carried out through the year by Montgomery’s Footpath Maintenance volunteers.

It was also decided to form a wildlife corridor from Whitegates Pool which will link in with the lime avenue and support the Town Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan.