Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland
From the article by Ebden Diskin 5/2/21, updated from 10/9/14 from www.matadornetwork.com
NO ONE APPRECIATED the beauty of trees, and immortalized them in literature, more than J.R.R. Tolkien. “I am at home among the trees,” said Legolas the elf in The Fellowship of the Ring, but it might as well have been Tolkien himself speaking.
Under a black pine in the Oxford Botanic Gardens, the author sat and penned part of his famous trilogy, inspired by the unique trees and plants surrounding him. Tolkien viewed trees as living, breathing creatures with humanlike characteristics, and it’s easy to see why. From Japan’s bamboo forests to the ponderosa pines of Utah, the world’s trees are as diverse and beautiful as its people.
As we begin to think about travelling once again, here is the next in a series of 20 of the most unique trees and forests around the world that will give you a Tolkien-esque love for trees.
This tunnel of beech trees in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was planted back in the 18th century to impress those approaching the Georgian mansion, Gracehill House. Today, the Dark Hedges are well-known for being featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones, where they stand in as the Kingsroad, a road with Castle Black in the North at one end and King’s Landing in the South at the other.
For advice and or a quote for work to your trees, call Andrew on 01256 817369, 07771 883061 or email him at Andrew@primarytreesurgeons.co.uk