Derby's Heritage Part 24 - The Arboretum (Sections B & C)
w/e 25 December 2011
All this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490
Heritage Walk Header

As we discovered in the previous part, there are five main sections in The Arboretum and in this part we will pass through the second and third and in addition make a slight detour to the adjacent Nature Reserve.

Serpentine Path

The serpentine path continues through Section B around the edge of the Arboretum and although the catalogue identifies eighteen trees including mainly cherries, limes and Honey locusts, only two appear on the Tree Trail leaflet.
False Acacia

The first is a fine example from the Leguminosae family commonly known as a False Acacia. I believe that this is the tree found to be a bigger and better specimen than the one previously thought to be the best in the country at Kew Gardens in London. An expert from Kew visited the Arboretum to help compile the catalogue and was surprised to find such a fine specimen. The grey squirrel is an optional extra and although usually regarded as pests, squirrels in the Arboretum are almost tame and are often hand fed by local residents and therefore cause only minimal damage to the trees. This particular tree was one of the original 1840 plantings in the Arboretum.
Nature Reserve

Having photographed the False Acacia we returned to the start of Section B and took another path temporarily leaving the Arboretum to pass through an adjacent area identified as the Nature Reserve passing this pond in the process.
B, C , D & Boar

Arboretum Playground Arboretum Playground The path through the Nature Reserve leads to the Arboretum Playground (left & right) but passing between two pavilions took us back into the Arboretum. Directly ahead is the bronze statue of the Florentine Boar which we will see in more detail later when we return from Section C, on the right at this point. Section B is to the immediate left and Section D is also on the left but beyond the statue.
Wych Elm

Turning to look back along the serpentine path the second notable tree from the Tree Trail leaflet in Section B is visible on the left. This is another tree planted in 1840 and is a Wych Elm. This is a rare and significant specimen as many similar trees in the UK were wiped out in the 1960s and 70s by the fungal infection known as Dutch Elm Disease.
Copper Beech

Section C occupies the eastern end of the Arboretum with an entrance from Reginald Street and it was from close to there that this image was captured viewing some of the twenty six trees identified in the catalogue. Four of those twenty six feature on the Tree Trail, one of which is the Copper Beech seen here to the right of the ornate lamp.
Oak & Pear

Continuing through Section C and now heading back towards the Boar I left the serpentine path to climb one of the mounds and look back at two more trees on the Tree Trail. The small Amur maple (an Acer) on the left is not one of them but the large Red Oak ahead is as is the twisted Wild Pear (another original planting of 1840) beyond.
Highclere Holly

The final tree of note in this section is the Highclere Holly, a spineless form that originated at Highclere in Berkshire resulting from a cross between the common holly and the Canary Holly. This is a male specimen and bears no fruit. Out of sight behind the Highclere Holly is the Florentine Boar which is where we'll resume our walk through the Arboretum in the next part.
 Back to Part 23
 The Derby Heritage Walk Index
Continued in Part 25

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