A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Beeches 



Some of the largest girthed trees are at Ax- 

 well, the tallest at Lumley ; the former girthing 

 1 6 ft. at 4i ft. from the ground, the latter reach- 

 ing a height of from i lo to 120 ft. 



Elms 



The largest wych elm, 1 6 ft. 8 in., is at Gib- 

 side. Good English elms also exist at Bishop 

 Auckland, 13 ft. 4 in., and also at Raby, 10 ft. 



Sycamores 



At Axwell two very fine trees stand in the 

 park with girths of 14 ft. 8 in. and 15 ft. 10 in., 

 and at Raby is a tree 1 6 ft. in girth and contain- 

 ing 400 ft. of timber. 



Limes 



Good specimens of this tree may be seen at 

 Lambton, Lumley, Stanhope, Axwell, and other 

 places. A tree at Axwell girths 15 ft. 8 in., and 

 a tree with the same girth exists at Raby. 



Spanish Chestnuts 



Several fine specimens for the north of England 

 stand in Bishop Auckland Park, the largest girth- 

 ing 14 ft. 8 in. and at Raby containing 200 ft. 

 of timber. 



Horse Chestnuts 



Two fine old trees grow at Walworth Castle 

 16 ft. and 14 ft. girth. 



Planes [Platanus ortentalis) 



Probably the finest tree in the county is at 

 Lambton, which is about 70 ft. in height — a large 

 tree for the district. 



The finest coniferous trees to be met with are 

 the larches at Raby (the largest of which con- 

 tains nearly 300 cubic ft. of timber), Dryder- 

 dale, Bedburn near Wolsingham, and elsewhere. 

 At Dryderdale probably the best Scotch pine 

 and spruce are to be found, the former up to 

 7 ft. 6 in. and the latter 7 ft. and over 1 00 ft. in 

 height. At Hamsterley Hall in the Derwent 

 valley good spruce and silver fir may be found, 

 the latter up to 12 ft. in girth, and at one time 

 of great height, but the tops of the remaining 

 trees are decaying. The Scotch pines at this 

 place are also good trees. 



Of the rarer conifers the cedars of Lebanon 

 at Ravensworth are probably the oldest, the 

 largest of which have girths of 13 ft. 4 in. and 

 13 ft. 



Conifers planted within the last half-century 

 or so exist at Streatlam, where a very fine col- 

 lection has been planted, most of which are 

 doing well on a stiff clay soil, especially Pinus 

 monticola. At Raby and Lambton conifers of 

 various kinds have been planted, many of which 

 are doing well, but as a general rule these trees 

 require sheltered situations to reach any great 

 size. The most promising on ordinary soils is 

 the Corsican pine, which grows well on the 

 strong soils and exposed sites so frequently met 

 with in the county. Neither the Douglas firs nor 

 Weymouth pines do well as a rule, although both 

 grow rapidly for a time, and until their tops are 

 exposed to the wind. Of indigenous conifers 

 the yews at Castle Eden are remarkable for their 

 size, height, and age, and are probably direct 

 descendants of the natural growth which gave 

 the Dene its name. A Scotch fir at Raby has a 

 girth of 10 ft. 4 in. and contains 1 80 ft. of timber 

 but is indubitably a planted tree. 



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