Usk Arboretum

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The Arboretum - The plot thickens

...During lockdown in 2020 we had another idea.  Heritage Lottery were inviting bids from organisations wishing to develop woodland.  Why not apply?  The worst that can happen is that they say 'No'!

We had the support of all of the local organisations including the Town Council, The Roger Edwards Educational Trust (Who own the land) and lots more.  I am not going to attempt to list all of the wonderful local bodies who have pledged their support, if I miss one I will never live it down.  Their logos are on the notice board, and a photo of that is included on this page.

The land was, many years ago, the old town rubbish tip and as such its potential for development is limited.  Trees can be planted but breaking the surface for anything else is a big no no.  Ideal for our purposes though.

We were delighted to have our application accepted.  We are most grateful to the Heritage Lottery, The Welsh Assembly Government (who are co organising the grant scheme) and we are particularly grateful to all of those people who buy lottery tickets.  They have made our project possible much quicker than if we had to raise all of the funding locally.

Work will begin in the Autumn of 2021 and should be completed before the onset of Spring 2022.  The services of an arboriculturist will be engaged to make sure we do things right.  The trees must be native to these islands as part of the conditions for the grant.

Later we hope to encourage the public to sponsor a tree in memory of a lost loved one or to celebrate the arrival of a new family member (or pretty much anything else).  We also hope that the general public will enjoy the site and that the local youth groups and schools will take the opportunity to use it for educational and recreational purposes.

Update

During November and December 2021 some dead and damaged trees were removed by our consultant tree expert, and members of the Rotary Club joined forces with the Usk Conservation and Environment Group to clear some unsightly undergrowth and make room for the planting of the new trees.

Shortly the Arboretum will be given a name, chosen with the help of Usk residents and the children from the local school.  Information boards are currently at the design stage (Jan 2022) and the trees are being sourced.