Abbey Fields Project trustees, volunteers and a crowd of Histon & Impington residents gathered on Saturday to watch the planting of a sapling in Long Meadow, off Park Lane.
A crowd of 150 people assembled on the 4.5-acre meadow to mark the moment when the sapling – a descendent of the veteran 450-year-old oak on Croft Close Set Aside – was transferred to Long Meadow in a symbolic linking of the two sites.The Abbey Fields project was formed by local people in 2021 to ensure that Long Meadow and Croft Close Set-aside (CCSA) are saved in perpetuity for, and by the community. Through a fundraising campaign, the group have raised £400,000 in just over a year – and the project looks set to meet the target of £500,000 needed to secure and maintain the land.
The commemorative planting in Long Meadow – which may have historically been used as a hay meadow and summer pasture – is a symbol of both continuity and renewal for the community.
Saturday’s event was multi-generational, with Caroline Chivers – whose family has been associated with the villages of Histon and Impington for over a century – planting the tree with the help of a group of local children.
The new sapling will have sturdy posts and a rabbit-and-deer-proof mesh fitted in the next few weeks to provide permanent protection from the elements, and will be looked after by volunteer working parties.
Chair of Histon and Impington Green Spaces (HIGS), Rob Bensted-Smith commented: “The tree planting recognises that our project is just a small step in a long continuum of village life. One day the sapling will be a worthy successor to the huge sycamore that dominated Long Meadow for over a hundred years.
“We have a responsibility to the planet and to ourselves as a community to leave a network of green spaces around H&I, as well as preserve biodiversity for future generations.’
Protecting the ancient oak
Meanwhile, steps are being taken to protect the veteran oak at Croft Close Set-aside by cutting back shrubs and saplings growing beneath and immediately around it.
Recommended by leading experts on ancient trees, this practice is called halo release. It will prevent overshadowing and allow light to reach the trunk of the tree again.
The halo release work party will take place on 28 January from 10:30am to12:30pm. Volunteers are invited to meet at Croft Close Set-aside for a short talk by Daphne Fisher, Chair of the Site Management Action Group, on why this is important for the health of the veteran tree, before clearing the surrounding trees and shrubs.
Find out more about the working party at www.abbeyfields.online/events/halo-release-event
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