Ancient, Veteran and Notable Trees

Ancient, Veteran and Notable Trees

If you are the custodian of an ancient or veteran tree, VETcert is a pan-European certification scheme for veteran tree specialists developed to raise the standard in veteran tree management across Europe. The scheme provides individuals with the opportunity to have their skills and expertise recognised, and makes it easier for tree owners to identify professionals with specialist understanding of older trees.

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This column contains a short introduction to the link.

Everything one could want to know about ancient and veteran trees! Includes the chance to get involved through the Sussex ATF (visits, etc) - sign up to receive the ATF newsletter.
"Ancient and other veteran trees are a vital and treasured part of our history, and our natural and cultural landscape, and Britain is thought to have the greatest number of ancient trees in northern Europe. The Ancient Tree Forum seeks to secure the long term future of these ecosystems through promoting best management and conservation practice, lobbying governments over their recognition and protection, encouraging research, and increasing people’s enjoyment of old trees."


Extra: The People Place and Nature podcast with Ted Green and Jill Butler - The Roots of Civilisation, two of the founding members of the ATF.

Ancient Tree Inventory

(Woodland Trust and others)

Mapping the oldest and most important trees in the UK.

See what's on the map near you, and add a tree, if you spot a wonderful old tree that's not on the map.

See also our list of ATI trees in Chichester.

Ancient Woodland Map

(Natural England / DEFRA)

"Ancient woodland is land that has had a continuous woodland cover since at least 1600 AD. It includes Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW), which retains a native tree and shrub cover, Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) where the original tree cover has been felled and replaced by planting, often with conifers, or Ancient Wood Pasture (AWP) where the trees are managed in tandem with a long established tradition of grazing, characteristically with at least some veteran trees or shrubs."

Note: in Chichester City parish area, the mapped boundary of Lower Rouse Copse appears incorrect. Natural England's project methodology will need to be interpreted to understand the background to this. Other small areas of ancient woodland may also be missing.

Historic Maps

(National Library of Scotland)

A comprehensive source of digitised maps to understand the context of trees, hedgerows and woodland in our historic landscape. Includes a side-by-side facility that allows all the different historic map overlays to be compared to each other, or to present-day Bing, MapBox, OpenStreetMap or Ordnance Survey maps, in a split-screen viewer.


For hard copy maps and other original materials, please visit West Sussex Record Office (some resources also digitised and available online).

The F22 records series "consists of all published reports of woodland and hedgerow surveys undertaken by the Forestry Commission, and some which, for wartime security reasons, were unpublished, and also the basic field documents.

The surveys relate mainly to privately owned forest land and include the 1924 Census, the 1938 Census of Woodlands, the 1942 Census, the 1947-1949 Census of Woodlands, the 1951 Census and the 1952-1959 Revision, and the 1979-1982 Census of Woodlands and Trees". It is not digitised, so access requires a visit in person to the National Archive at Kew.


The F30 record set "Forestry Commission: Censuses of Woodlands: Microfilm of MapsMicrofilm of six-inch Ordnance Survey County Series maps showing woodland which was assessed in the 1947-1949 and 1952-1959 surveys of private woodland undertaken by the Forestry Commission." is available to download as a digital copy. The extract page showing Lower Rouse Copse, Upper Rouse Copse, Brandy Hole Copse and other woodlands to the west of Chichester, dated 1947, can be downloaded as a pdf file (see button). Summersdale Copse does not appear on the record.
The Census itself is likely to throw light on why the vast majority of Lower Rouse Copse and Upper Rouse Copse were felled circa 1950 and the land, for a time, brought into arable production. The area is now subject to "strategic development" (1600 homes, plus commercial uses) with resolution to grant outline planning permission to complete the development (850 homes) being passed by Chichester District Council, as local planning authority, in January 2024.


The Arboricultural Association hosted the thought-provoking "Woodlands at War: the Impact and Legacy of WWI and WWII on Britain's Woodlands" on 20th December 2023 as part of its free webinar series. The video recording is available to watch here for a limited period.

Tree Preservation Orders and trees in conservation areas


(Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Explains the legislation governing Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and tree protection in conservation areas.


Information on Chichester District Council's website ( Tree preservation ) includes a link to the My Chichester District system, where you can view a map of planning constraints that include TPOs, etc; a link to request a Tree Preservation Order (bizarrely paired with "report a dead or dangerous tree"); and some useful contacts.


Details of planning applications can be found here. CDC uses the suffix TPA to indicate a planning application relating to a TPO-protected tree, and TCA for a notification to undertake work/fell a tree in a Conservation Area. (Work to/felling of protected trees may also be part of larger planning applications.)

Natural England and Forestry Commission ‘standing advice’ that is a material planning consideration for local planning authorities (LPAs) to take into account when making planning decisions that affect ancient woodland, ancient trees or veteran trees.

Links checked: 14th February 2023.

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