The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a place close to my heart. I studied Fine Art at Bretton Hall College between 1983 and 1986 and, at the time, the sculpture park was attached to the college. Since then the college has closed but the sculpture park has grown to become an internationally famous centre for sculpture – and is a joy.
The sculpture park is also home to many ancient and veteran trees.
A good definition of ancient and veteran trees can be found here –https://ancienttreeforum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ATF_book.pdf
According to the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory, there are 4 ancient trees and 19 veteran trees at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. (The Ancient Tree Inventory is mainly populated by discoveries and entries generated by the public and although it’s mostly accurate, mistakes happen). A recent visit to the sculpture park, and using the inventory as a guide, proved that one of the entries had counted the ancient ash tree twice, giving it two different locations (it’s tempting to think it might have moved of its own accord but a mistyped map reference is the most likely culprit). So that makes 3 ancient trees. The same visit whittled the veteran trees down from 19 to 12 (3 double entries being one reason, 1 never existed and 3 had sadly been lost due to illness and weather).
This is still a large and impressive number, with the sculpture park being home to 3 of the 5 Ancient Trees in the Wakefield District that are accessible to the public. (There are a further 17 in the district – a Black mulberry bush in Normanton Golf Course (private land), a Black mulberry bush in Carr Lodge Park in Horbury, an oak in Notton and an impressive 14 (12 hawthorne, 1 Wild apple and 1 alder) are visible in a field next to the sculpture park (private land).
52 veteran trees might exist in the Wakefield District, (though I haven’t checked them for double entries) so that’s an impressive number (12) that can be found at YSP.
For this project, I aim to sketch all the ancient and veteran trees within the boundary of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park to highlight their beauty and resilience. It’s also a love letter to a place that is special to me at a time when I might be considered entering my veteran stage in life.
(Click on the tree to get a full view, with tree type and map location)
Tony Wade 
Wow wonderful stuff Tony. Brings back memories. I worked at Bretton for 15+ years teaching Environmental Education, trying to introduce students to the ecological and creative opportunities offered by the wonderful arboreal landscape. Your work would have been a magnificent resource. I think I recognise a couple of old ‘friends’ here!
A now-deceased colleague (and I) for many years acted as voluntary wardens when the College’s ‘Bretton Lakes Reserve’ had a management relationship with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. I recall about 15 years ago my colleague ((Derek Wales) commissioned an individual tree survey of the whole reserve and the resultant map was very impressively detailed. I think it either ended up with Bretton Estates or YWT. At this distance in time I’m not sure how useful the info would be – the veterans would be there though!
Colin
Hi Colin
Thank you for your kind comments. I think the tree survey is now with the Head of Estates at the sculpture park as I know he has referred to it. I believe they are now undertaking a digital update to create an interactive map with information about all the trees!
Best wishes
Tony