24 THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE 
Bignoniaceae 
In the same garden as the Qrobur ‘Fastigiata’ 
discussed above, there is an Indian Bean Tree 
(Catalpa bignonoides) with a girth of 316 cm in 2001. 
There may once have been a larger Catalpa in 
Wiltshire, but this one certainly comes next, and 
may now be the largest in the County. 
Other Large Girth Trees 
The largest Limes, Horse Chestnuts, Ashes and 
Yews within the College grounds, although 
impressive, are not record trees compared with 
some colossi and ancient specimens elsewhere in 
Wiltshire. The three largest Common Hybrid 
Limes were over 400cm in girth. The largest two 
Common Horse Chestnuts were 420 and 473 cm, 
and the largest Red Horse Chestnut was 310 cm. 
Three Ashes were between 390 and 400cms, but 
another with multiple trunks had a coppice base 
circumference of 875 cm (at lft). The two biggest 
yews were 383 and 385 cm. One Gean (Wild 
Cherry) had a girth of 190 cm, but another was 
270cm at 3ft (a low forker). Staff are proud of their 
Swamp Cypress (Jaxodium distichum), girth 313 cm. 
It is likely that some of the smaller tree species 
approach record status. One Holly, for instance had 
one of its trunks with a girth of 190cm, and another 
Holly Tree had a basal measure of 405cms at lft. 
The girths of five Prunus ‘Kanzam’ trees ranged from 
130-143cm. A Pissard’s Plum (Prunus cerasifera 
‘Pissardii’) had the exceptional girth of 150cm, the 
second largest so far measured in Wiltshire. 
SUMMARY 
Comparison with the two previous papers (Oliver & 
Davies 2001; Oliver 2003) shows that the 
Marlborough College grounds carry more tree types 
than Savernake Forest, Savernake Forest Arboretum 
and the Tottenham Park Estate together, an area 
more than ten times as great! Part of this is 
accounted for by many small tree cultivars beloved 
by English gardeners; but also by the species and 
hybrids of Poplars and Willows in the College 
ground wetlands, and by exotics planted by ex- 
pupils and staff from foreign expeditions in the past 
(and from specialist tree nurseries in recent years). 
Total Tree Species (Shrubs excluded, but including 
26 tree species sometimes or often shrubby): 133 
Total Tree Hybrids (4 hybrids, sometimes or usually 
shrubby): 24 
Total Tree Taxa, including subspecies and 
distinctive variants and cultivars but excluding the 
smallest permanently dwarfed cultivars of larger 
tree species): 207 
Extensive natural spread: 23 species 
Occasional natural spread: 18 species and 2 
hybrids 
Some of the Marlborough College areas, especially 
near buildings and sports facilities and in staff 
gardens, are closely manicured with intensive 
gardening. In these places, natural regeneration of 
trees is not going to occur, but some special and 
exotic trees are valued. Numbers of these are 
exceptional by virtue of age and size, and sometimes 
rarity. Only following exigencies e.g. danger, new 
buildings required etc. would they be removed. 
In the wilder areas, peripheries, copses, 
boundaries, wetlands and Nature Trail the trees can 
find their natural population levels. Along with the 
exotics, the wetland trees account for much of the 
extra species diversity. Over the last fifty years, 
especially over the last ten, fungal diseases have 
changed the balance of the dominant Willow 
species, favouring White Willow (but not some of 
its cultivars). 
Acknowledgements 
My thanks to Joan Davies for preparing the 
illustrations for this paper. Also to Sean Dempster, 
Simon Eveleigh and Robert Tindall from 
Marlborough College. 
Bibliography 
OLIVER, J.E. & DAVIES, J.M., 2001 ‘Savernake Forest 
Oaks’. WANHM 94, 24-46. 
OLIVER, J.E., 2002 ‘The Natural History of a White 
Willow’. Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) 
News 91, 25,26 and 75 (illustrations). 
OLIVER, J.E., 2003 ‘The Trees of Savernake Forest’. 
WANHM 96, 40-46. 
ROSE, D.R., 1989 & 2003 Scab & Black Canker of 
Willow. Arboricultural Advisory & Information 
Service, Alice Holt Research Station. Forestry 
Commission. 
