31/07/2026
The great willow has fallen.
For those of you who have been to the farm you may know or remember the huge willow that stands between the orchard and the back field. It’s an imposing tree that’s seen many many decades if not centuries.
In January I spotted a hairline crack running down the main trunk and I’ve been watching this gradually open and yesterday it fully opened and a huge limb has landed.
The ever resilient willow will now put roots down where it’s landed and we have the decision as custodians of the land to either let her do her thing or reopen the access over the bridge.
It’s been quite something to watch this slowly happen over the last 7 months and I’ve no doubt that the drought and strong, warm winds have sped things up the past two months.
It’s a beautiful tree and will no doubt out live us all and this is a new iteration of how it lives on. The rotten wood in the middle of the trunk is an excellent habitat for insects.
Would you leave her to reroute or restore the path?