Exeter Cathedral's Guided Tree Walk

Recently a couple of our team, accompanied by a Connectee, went on a free guided tree walk, hosted by Exeter Cathedral and guided by Graham Beck, Tree Officer for the Saving Devon’s Treescapes Project.

Exeter's green spaces are home to a remarkable variety of trees—each one a silent sentinel supporting the health of our environment and providing vital habitats for local wildlife. These trees not only enhance the beauty and serenity of the city and Cathedral but also play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in the heart of the city.

This free guided walk took us into Southernhay where we admired a huge Lucombe oak and learnt about it's history. We also looked at a variety of large linden (lime) trees, a walnut tree, the largest holly tree we've ever seen and various other species. Back on Cathedral Green we admired the trees planted there, including a pin oak and a much discussed Exeter elm. Around in the cloister area is a black mulberry.

The widespread belief is that the old Mulberry trees around England are remnants of James I’s failed 17th-century silk industry project is largely accurate, though the story is more complex. In 1609, James I tried to start a domestic silk industry to compete with France and Italy by encouraging the planting of Mulberry trees to feed silkworms. He distributed thousands of saplings and created Mulberry gardens, with Queen Anne doing the same.

However, most of the trees planted were black Mulberries (Morus nigra), native to the Middle East and valued for fruit, not silk. The silk-producing white Mulberry (Morus alba), vital to China’s silk industry and used in France and Italy, was largely unsuited to Britain’s colder climate. Despite available knowledge advising the use of white Mulberries, the harsher British weather and the ongoing Little Ice Age may have made black Mulberries a more practical—if flawed—choice. Ultimately, England's silk industry failed due to unsuitable climate, poor choice of Mulberry species, and lack of sustained interest—especially after the Civil War. A brief revival attempt in 1718 also fizzled out. Today, most old Mulberries in England are black, and none of James I’s original plantings survive.

This was a fascinating couple of hours spent learning about the trees around Cathedral Green and Southernhay and it is worth keeping an eye on the Cathedral's website for any forthcoming events.