Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue

ALMOST 700 metres in extent, the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue once formed part of the approach to Clipsham Hall, the former seat of the Davenport-Handley family. In 1870 John Davenport-Handley was the squire and Amos Alexander was his head forester. The latter’s keen interest in topiary encouraged him to suggest to his employer that the avenue could be rendered more impressive if the trees were shaped. As it happens, Alexander, who occupied a lodge at the entrance to the driveway, had already demonstrated his superior topiary skills to his advantage when he clipped his garden yews into figures.

The Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue as it looked almost a century ago. The photographs are dated 1922.

Thus influenced, the squire proposed that each of the avenue’s trees should be differently patterned and that, over time, not only would they commemorate anniversaries relevant to the Davenport-Handley family, but also notable individual achievements and important national events. Oddly enough, although John Davenport-Handley did not want depictions of the female sex, he allowed Queen Victoria’s various jubilees to be featured on the trees. Animals, birds and abstract shapes designed by Amos Alexander took pride of place atop many of the yews.

When his father Amos was no longer able, Charles Alexander took over the annual autumnal clipping of the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue. At a later date, the task fell to a local resident referred to as Mr Beecham. But although the highly praised topiary survived WWI, a generation further on, WWII took its toll on the trees. As its workforce was reduced by the requirement to serve king and country, the Clipsham Estate’s once renowned Yew Tree Avenue was gradually neglected and became overgrown. Many of Amos Alexander’s original shapes grew out and were lost forever.

The Forestry Commission maintained the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue from 1955 until the early 21st century. An informative leaflet included a ‘fun’ treasure trail designed to encourage visitors of all ages to study the topiaries closely.

Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue’s first restoration began when Sir David Davenport-Handley agreed a 999-year lease with the Forestry Commission in 1955. However, as few of the organisation’s foresters possessed topiary qualifications, in the early days they had to learn on the job and did as they thought appropriate. Concerned to maintain tradition, the Commission eventually organised training.

But unlike Edward Scissorhands, who used his blades to carve fantastic, larger-than-life topiaries at speed, in the real world it takes a perceptive eye, an unwavering hand, concentration and practise to master the skill of clipping clearly delineated sculptural forms into thickly foliaged evergreens such as yew (Taxus spp), box (Buxus sempervirens) and holly (Ilex spp). According to the 17th-century Royal Botanist, John Parkinson, “… privet (Ligustrum spp) was so apt that no other can be likened unto it, to be cut, led and drawn into what form one will.”

Visitors once approached Clipsham Hall, the former seat of the Davenport-Handley family, via its Yew Tree Avenue. Lined with some 150 splendidly topiaried trees, the avenue had a length of 700 m.

Topiary is known to have been developed by Roman and Greek gardeners whose status-aware masters sought novelty.  When describing the grounds of his Tuscan villa Pliny the Younger (61 AD–c.113) mentioned a horseshoe-shaped grassy walkway enclosed by ornately shaped evergreens. The esteemed lawyer, author and administrator is also claimed to have nicknamed his most able and artistically inclined gardener Topiarius.

European garden design continued to feature topiary for centuries thereafter but interest in the art form began to wane after it was ridiculed by the influential 17th-century poet Alexander Pope. Nevertheless, although other styles of adornment appeared to grace the residences of the elite, it was not unusual to see topiary forms displayed in gardens adjoining humbler homes.

Following a significant period of neglect, management of the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue has recently devolved from the Forestry Commission to the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue Trust. Funds have been secured, and restoration has begun. It will, however, be some time before the avenue regains its former glory.

Topiary made its reappearance in fashionable gardens after the noted 19th-century Scottish botanist and gardener John Claudius Loudon expressed a sense of loss at its disappearance from the English garden. Some years thereafter, the respected writer on horticulture, James Shirley Hibberd, also upheld the value of the art form: “It may be true, as I believe it is, that the natural form of a tree is the most beautiful possible for that tree, but it may happen that we do not want the most beautiful form, but one of our own designing and expressive of our own ingenuity.”

Forestry Commission records reveal that in the mid-1960s a Mr Frank Cornell of Stamford “showed such great interest and aptitude in topiary” that he was given responsibility for the maintenance of the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue. Those original patterns that remained were thus restored and new forms, including Cornell’s initials, were added when appropriate. 1969, for example, celebrated the astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930–2012). Not only was the American aeronautical engineer the first man to walk on the moon, he was also privileged to be the first figure depicted in yew at Clipsham.

The Clipsham Avenue Yews have recently had their original shapes reinstated after five years of neglect. Bourne-based Euan McLaren Tree Services undertook the historic task.

Following Frank Cornell’s retirement from the Forestry Commission, a Mr Eric Wyer took over the design and cutting of the trees. He now sits on the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue Trust committee as “a consultant with a memory!”

The Forestry Commission ensured that the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue was kept in pristine condition for over 50 years. No entrance fee was charged and a user-friendly free visitor’s leaflet was made available; but times change.

In 2010, questions regarding “a noticeable and concerning deterioration of the Yew Tree Avenue as evidenced by the lack of maintenance of the trees themselves and the open spaces,” were raised with the Forestry Commission by local people and visitors. By 2012 people seriously concerned about the level of neglect had formed an interest group, which contacted the government body demanding action.

But despite letters, telephone calls and support from several local politicians, the Forestry Commission asserted that they were no longer able to take responsibility for the site’s upkeep. The reasons given for this decision were, reportedly, diminishing budgets and health and safety directives. Matters improved briefly in 2014 when Cory Environmental Waste Ltd granted £2,500 and were assisted by Rutland County Council to trim the trees and cut the grass rides.

The designs clipped into the Clipsham yews symbolise people or historical events. The anchor, for example, commemorates the late David Davenport-Handley’s entrance to the prestigious Dartmouth Royal Naval College in 1930. The three bears, an elephant and even an easy chair also feature.

However, as a longer-term solution to the restoration of the Avenue was needed, a dedicated community-led approach was planned in 2016. The Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue Trust was formed in 2018 and is chaired by Dr Patrick Candler (CEO of the Sherwood Forest Trust). Sue Thomas and Cliff Bacon are also founder members.

Sue – who is a member of the Davenport-Handley family and who grew up at Clipsham Hall – explained: “The Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue Trust is a registered charity. It has a 20-year agreement with the Forestry Commission which holds a 999-year lease. Since its inception the Trust has raised money from a number of sources, mostly LEADER and Rutland Healthy Living. The funds will enable it to repair the car park, renew the signage and interpretation boards and provide access for the less able with a hard pathway from the car park to the avenue.

Clipsham Park Woodland is adjacent to the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue.

“Benches and picnic tables are to be placed at the bottom of the avenue and a bench at its halfway point. The gates have already been repaired and reinstated to white, as was original. A supportive band of volunteers litter-pick fortnightly, the grass is mown regularly and weeds and woody debris have been cleared from under the trees.”

Sue added that, thanks to the Trust’s sponsorship scheme and other donations, the matchless Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue is making a comeback.

“The trees are currently getting their first cut for five years. Because the trimming of the trees is an important job that needs professional expertise, we’ve commissioned Euan McLaren Tree Services of Bourne, Lincolnshire, to undertake the task. The company began work on October 1st 2019 and it will take approximately six weeks to complete the re-creation of the original shapes of the 150 trees. Funds will need to be raised every year if the trees are to be kept in good shape by regular trimming.”

In the longer term, the Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue Trust hopes to begin work on reinstating the idiosyncratic topiary patterns on the sides of the trees in 2020. Sue Thomas stressed that the evocative embellishments are one of the reasons why the Rutland site is so significant for cultural and environmental reasons.

“Quite simply, there is no other woodland heritage feature quite like this in the whole of the United Kingdom.”