Gnarled Eco-Warrier
The cache, a camo-taped preform tube, is hidden at a delightful tranquil shady spot on the bank of a small stream near the north-east corner of Heber's Ghyll woods at the eastern end of Addingham Edge. It is just off a quiet alternative path which ascends through bracken-covered slopes to join the main trail heading west along the Edge just before the Swastika Stone.
Hiding of the cache became possible with the archiving of Skipton Stimulator's (aka Hillgorilla) challenging Augmented Reality cache GC7T3WT AR_The Writings of the Ancients which was hidden on 3/7/18 and archived on 19/11/20 after some 32 finds garnering 9 FPs along the way.
To Reach the Cache Location: park @ N 53 55.301 W 001 50.940 on Heber's Ghyll Drive and make your way up the winding path through the woods, crossing the Ghyll several times on wooden footbridges. Towards the top of the trail head right at the junction and continue up to the access gate @ N 53 55.107 W 001 51.117. Turn right here and head west through a second gate to the cache location.
The cache is hidden in the base of one of a pair of gnarled old oaks at this location. The towering Sessile Oak (Quercus petraeus) is 'less famous than English oak, but no less loved'. It is a deciduous broadleaf tree which can grow to 40m tall. Its distinctive leaves are shallowly lobed and have a long leaf stalk (petiole) unlike the English Oak. In winter it can be identified by clusters of rounded buds - each bud with >3 scales.
It is distinguished from the English Oak (Q. robur) with which it shares much of its range by having long (>1cm) petioles (leaf stalks), by its clusters of stalkless (sessile) acorns on long peduncles (flower or fruit stalks) and by stellate (star-shaped) hairs on the ubderside of the leaf. The two may hybridise in the wild to form Quercus x rosacea.
It is the official national tree of Ireland and native to most of Europe, often found in hilly areas. It is common in semi-natural UK woodlands, especially in upland areas of the north and west.
It is monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same tree. Male flowers are green catkins and female flowers are inconspicuous clusters of bracts (modified leaves), which look like red flower buds.
After wind pollination, female flowers develop into sessile (stalkless) acorns - large shiny seeds in a scaly wooden cup - which start green, maturing to brown before they fall.
Value to wildlife: Oak forests support more life forms than any other native forest - in fact 326 species are
only found on an oak. They are host to around 257 insect species, supplying many birds with an important food source. In autumn, jays and mammals like squirrels, badgers and deer feed on acorns. Its flower and leaf buds are food for caterpillars.
Its soft leaves quickly break down in autumn forming a rich leaf mould beneath the tree, supporting invertebrates such as the stag beetle, and fungi, like the oakbug milkcap. Holes and bark crevices provide perfect nesting spots for many bird species including woodpecker, pied flycatcher, redstart and marsh tit. Bats also roost in old woodpecker holes or under loose bark, as well as feeding on the rich supply of insects in the tree canopy.
Mythology and symbolism: it was sacred to many gods, including Zeus, Jupiter and the Celtic Dagda, each ruling over thunder and lightning. Oak trees are more often hit by lightning than other trees as they are usually the tallest in the landscape, have a deep central root and have hollow water-filled cells that run up and down the wood (Cambium – inner bark) of its trunk. These qualities make oak trees better conductors and grounders of lightning than trees with shallow roots and closed cells.
Druids practised rituals in oak groves and cherished the mistletoe that grows in oak-tree branches (see here and here). It’s also linked with royalty: ancient kings and Roman Emperors wore crowns of oak leaves.
In England, the oak is a national symbol of strength. Couples were wed under ancient oaks in Oliver Cromwell’s time. Oak is the emblem of many environmental groups, including the Woodland Trust.
Uses: it produces one of the hardest and most durable timbers but it takes up to 150 years before an oak is ready to use in construction. It has been a prized hardwood timber for 1000s of years and is still used for flooring, furniture, wine barrels (where it slowly releases tannin to help define the taste and 'character' of the wine) and firewood.
Leaves, bark and acorns were believed to heal many medical ailments, including diarrhoea, inflammation and kidney stones. Acorns have also been used to make flour for bread making (see here). Tannin found in the bark has been used to tan leather since at least Roman times.
The largest intact sessile oak in UK and one of the oldest at 800-1,200 years is the Queen Elizabeth Oak in Cowdary Park, West Sussex. It has a girth of 12.5-12.8m.
See here for comprehensive information on the tree and here for a great short and informative video on oaks (of Ireland).
