Cambridgeshire is one of the most tree poor counties in England (apparently Surrey is the richest) and the further north one goes into the Fens so woods and hedgerows become rarer. A few do exist and are all the more noticeable, striking even, and valuable in the flatness of the reclaimed landscape. But it would be wrong to couch this in the language of lament and loss: historically the Fens were a land of water, marsh and carr that never quite completed the transition to forests. ‘Bog oak’ (a mixture of largely oak, pine, yew and other species), still ploughed occasionally from the peat, is evidence of substantial trees in the past, not unlike the fine oaks around Rampton Woods.
Photo: Rampton, Cambridgeshire, February 2019
Have you ever visited the Mundon Oaks? I spent a day there some years ago and made a whole load of photos which, despite the dramatic scenes on offer, never really met expectations. Much like this set I found – https://www.marionsidebottom.co.uk/Projects/Lonely-Oaks-of-Mundon/ – and she spent three months working there!
I’ve never come across the Mundon Oaks. Judging from Marion’s picture they are certainly interesting and striking, but |I fear she has badly overdone the drama. Perhaps they are like a lot of things where what is special about the subject never quite translated onto a photograph. I would certainly like to get there to see them.