The Camberwell Beauty – a rare visitor

C P R E Visit

Visitors in 2006

We were delighted to welcome Robin and Phillipa Herbert to the Arboretum in August. Robin Herbert was generous with his support and advice in the formation of the Trust.

After Jim Russell had retired to live in Fife, John Simmons approached Robin Herbert, who was then President of the Royal Horticultural Society. Though he did not think the RHS would become directly involved, he was very supportive of the project and remained so when later, as Chairman of Kew's Board of Trustees, the proposal to form a joint trust with Kew was formulated. In March 1997 he attended the meeting at Castle Howard which established the guide lines to the agreement and set the Trust into being from June 1997.

Robin Herbert CBE VMH, is currently a President Emeritus of the RHS and lives and gardens near Newport in South Wales.

Support from Belgium

When the International Dendrology Society visited the arboretum in 2004, one of the members, Vicomte Philippe de Spoelberch, was particularly concerned about the deterioration of labels and therefore the loss of information on the plants in Ray Wood. Through John Simmons, he generously offered financial support to help reverse this trend.

Landscape by Helen Grey

Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’

Stuartia ovata

The Café in the Arboretum

 

This wonderful piece of artwork was produced by Helen in 2005 as part of her ‘A’-level art studies.

The landscape incorporates many aspects of the arboretum observed during several inspirational visits. It conveys the environment both visually and atmospherically. It also encapsulates the diversity of trees and plants through the use of a range media and techniques.

Will open for the 2007 season and will be open during normal Arboretum hours.

The emphasis will be on freshly cooked good quality food, locally sourced where possible. and the menu will include homemade scones with jam and clotted cream or savoury with pickles/chutneys and cheese. Toasted teacakes and homemade cakes, delicious homemade soups with fresh bread and sandwiches made to order.

There will also be a variety of teas and excellent coffee, with hot chocolate (just the thing after a walk on a crisp day!)  and soft drinks.

On the occasion of their 80^th Birthday and the Ryedale District Group’s 75^th., the Campaign to Protect Rural England met at the Arboretum on 21^st June to celebrate both anniversaries. Over 100 members and guests toured the arboretum and enjoyed a festive picnic in our new visitor centre.

During the evening, the coveted C.P.R.E mark was presented by Branch Chairman, David Clarke to the arboretum’s new visitors’ centre. This splendid building in English oak, designed to blend with the landscape by local architect Tony Oldale and built by Sanderdales of Strensall, York, has been much admired. The award was accepted by Sir Ron Cooke, Chairman of The Arboretum Trust.

For over two years now our Plant Records Officer, Joyce Kingman, has been spending at least one day each week working through the collection, updating the database and putting new ‘Kew’ labels on the plants. This task was referred to by John as ‘vast and daunting’, a sentiment with which Joyce would agree! However, nearly two thousand plants have now been identified and labelled. Only another three thousand to go!

Volunteer Peter Jackson has helped with this work on a regular basis and Joyce has also had occasional help from Roz Burnell and more recently Lyn Minto. Progress is more than twice as rapid with an extra pair of hands and eyes as well as being a lot more enjoyable. It is a task which alternates between being very rewarding and extremely frustrating but Ray Wood is always a magical place in which to work.

We are very grateful to Vicomte Philippe de Spoelberch for his interest in and support of this unique collection.

Every year a rare bird, butterfly, reptile or spider turns up in Britain. Some get here by wind assisted flight, others by cargo ship and others by sea. Whatever the means, for those individuals who find them, there is always a great deal of excitement and interest, whether it be at a port, at a greengrocer, on a sea shore line or in a garden. In August a Camberwell Beauty arrived at the Arboretum and was seen feeding on ripening wild pears. Probably the same specimen, was subsequently seen at Swinton.

This very colourful butterfly is a strong flier and is easily picked out and identified. The wings are a chocolate brown, with an outer edge of deep blue spots and a creamy-white fringe. The Camberwell Beauty is a rare visitor to Britain. Every few years only a few reports are received by the Butterfly Conservation Trust, one was recorded in Halifax in 2005. 2006 saw almost 100 reported sightings in the UK.

Information supplied by Michael Thompson, Slingsby.