Ulster's Iron Age forest
Submitted by PaulM on Saturday, 03 April 2004 Page Views: 1749
Iron Age and Later PrehistoryOnce upon a time Ted Loughran was a farmer. Today he is the custodian of a unique forest. And a leisurely walk through it is like taking a ramble into the past. Twenty-seven acres of former lime rich farmland have been devoted to the growing of trees - some 25,000 of them. But there is nothing arborally mundane about the set-up, a stone's throw from the historic Navan Fort in Armagh.For the trees are as representative, as can be guaged, of those which grew in the area almost 3000 years ago.
Ted calls it his 'Iron Age' forest, and shares his affection for it with the visiting public.
"It was all made possible because of a study carried out by Dr Dave Weir of Queen's University," he says.
"Core samples of peat were sourced on the farm and they identified the various tree species which had been growing there so long ago.
"The work was made possible by the fact that the acidic conditions in the peat helped preserve the various plant and tree seeds.
"And from the seeds' depth in the peat it was possible to ascertain how old they were."
Because of the state of farming, Ted decided to plant his land with trees.
So he teamed up with Treescape, a Co Derry woodland development company and now, six years on, the project is, pardon the pun, still growing.
"I was always interested in conservation and managed my farm in a nature friendly way," says Ted.
"When you are farming at times you are in conflict with nature.
"I wanted to give something back so planting broadleaf species trees on farmland which had been improved seemed the best way of doing this.
"There is some land you would not plant on, especially flower-rich meadows. Because of the pollen analysis from the core samples we have a pretty accurate picture of the trees which grew here during the Iron Age."
Treescape's Dave Roberts says: "Valuable research has shown Northern Ireland enjoyed an abundance of tree life back some 2000 years ago.
"That was a time when no species from other countries had been artificially introduced into Ireland.
"The main types identified as being prominent at that time are oak, ash, birch, hazel, alder, yew and whitebeam.
"We also know the relative abundance of each species making it possible to replicate this scenario in a modern day setting.
"That is what we have done on Ted's farm.
"The plantation is now well established and growing well.
"It has community woodland status and can be accessed free of charge by members of the public throughout the year."
Adds Ted: "It is giving a lot of enjoyment to me and I hope it does also to those who visit us.
"I look on the project as a gift to future generations.
"I suppose it is also a gift to nature."
Source: Belfast Telegraph Digital - 02 April 2004
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