There's great care, hard work, history and a lot of interesting facts behind our trees at Newton Park. To find out more, we joined Grounds Manager Penny Snowden for a walk around campus.

Visitors to Bath Spa’s Newton Park campus will no doubt notice the abundance of trees. From the main drive up to Commons and the fields surrounding Main House, to the path around the lake and through the adjoining woods, there are hundreds of trees – admired and enjoyed by staff, students and visitors alike. 

But there’s also great care, hard work, history and a lot of interesting facts behind these trees. To find out more, we joined Grounds Manager Penny Snowden for a walk around campus. 

Capability Brown... and dinosaurs 

The grounds at Newton Park were originally designed by famous 18th century landscape architect Capability Brown. Some of the trees on campus very likely date from this time, and the grounds team at Bath Spa try to maintain the naturalistic look of Brown’s original landscaping as much as possible – even going as far as to only use plants that would have existed then. One such tree is the London Plane, which you can find near the zebra crossing in front of the Newton building. 

“These are planted as street trees because of their tolerance to atmospheric pollution,” Penny said. “They were first recorded in 1663 and the ones we have here probably date to Capability Brown's landscaping of the estate in the 1700's.” 

One of the more striking trees on campus (and very popular with the sheep, who love to lounge around it) is the Wellingtonia, or Giant Redwood, in the field across from Main House. Though not as tall as its Californian cousins, this tree cuts an imposing figure and is possibly one of the most photographed trees on campus. 

Ginko Biloba is a bit of a botanical oddity. Botanists can't decide if it’s a conifer or not. It has remained unchanged for millions of years and is known as a living fossil.

Newton Park is also home to several other types of trees, including Lucombe Oak, Yew, European Lime, Ash and Ginko Biloba, which is also known as a ‘fossil tree’ and has been around since the time of the dinosaurs. 

“Ginko Biloba is a bit of a botanical oddity,” Penny said. “Botanists can't decide if it’s a conifer or not. It has remained unchanged for millions of years and is known as a living fossil.” 

Looking after our trees 

A lot of work and care goes into maintaining the grounds – and especially the trees – on campus. A tree safety inspection is carried out every three years; Penny has a detailed map of all the trees on campus, with notations of particular trees that need attention or to keep an eye on. Problems can be further investigated with PiCUS Tomography, which uses sound waves to locate areas of decay, or a Resistograph, which takes a fine core of material from the tree. 

Unfortunately, many trees on campus succumb to infection from fungus or disease, and Penny and her team, with the help of an experienced tree surgeon, do what they can to minimise the damage and make sure they don’t pose a danger to anyone.  

The Grounds Team has a detailed map of all the trees on campus, with notations of particular trees that need attention or to keep an eye on.

Some of the sick trees are made safer by having their tops cut off – which is called ‘monolithing’ – so they’re not in danger of falling on anyone, and the trees can be left to naturally decay.  

Some trees have to be felled, however. This is often done during quieter times on campus, like winter or summer vacations. Often the timber can be milled, though sometimes the trees are too big, so they’re left to be used as natural habitat for the wildlife on campus. 

A new lease on life 

It’s a bit sad when a tree needs to be felled, but Penny and her team have found another way to give the trees a new life. This year, students on Bath Spa’s Product and Furniture Design course are using timber from the felled trees at Newton Park to construct chairs as part of their coursework at Bath Spa’s Locksbrook Campus. 

Talking about the project brief, Senior Lecturer in Product and Furniture Design Dan Mifsud said:  

“The students used different types of wood per group to explore and compare the properties of different timbers. They needed to make observations and notes of the properties of the wood they used (is it light, heavy, tight grain, knotty etc). The design of the chair was chosen for its efficient use of materials and simple construction.” 

The trees were milled on-site at Newton Park using a portable sawmill. Penny said this is the first year the University has repurposed its wood for students to use, but it made a lot of sense – plus it supports Bath Spa’s sustainable ethos. 

“We have to get rid of the wood anyway, so why not give it to our students?” she said. 

This is the first year the University has repurposed its wood for students to use, but it makes a lot of sense – plus it supports Bath Spa’s sustainable ethos.

Students will also be able to use the wood for other projects throughout the year, so the trees will have a chance to live on, reincarnated into furniture and other pieces of art.

Newton Park’s trees have also been re-used in other ways. A few years ago an old oak tree (likely planted by Capability Brown himself) fell into the lake. The tree was salvaged and Penny’s team worked with a local timber company, Interesting Timbers, who used the wood to make picnic tables. The tables are dotted around the back of Main House, overlooking the lake. 

Which, if you’re a tree, might be the perfect kind of afterlife.