Join us for a guided walk across the Kent Downs from Wye in collaboration with The Ash Project. We will learn about the history of the ash tree and the devastating effects of ash dieback.
The loss of this tree will be felt deeply in Kent, where ash is the most common tree on the downs and makes up much of the ancient woodland. And while the ecological impact will be profound (almost 1000 species use ash trees for habitats and food), it is also import to foreground the cultural loss: through its mythological status and its practical uses (such as arrow making), this tree has shaped us for thousands of years
‘Yggdrasil had three roots: the one in water,
the second in air and the third in the otherworld.
Its roots were watered by three fates, Past, Present and Future’
– Read Jay Griffiths’ beautiful essay on the ash tree on the ash project archive