THE PHOENIX TREE

Elsewhere you will read how I repair stupidity and mend nature in my own way.  Early last year it behoved me to route up the Leicester Arm to spend time in Market Harborough. This entailed going through Crick where I dallied awhile.  Noticing that the pathway down to the towpath at Bridge 12 was in rag order.  I took it upon myself to clean up the environs and excavated a huge ash stump which had been savaged probably when the recently erected pedestrian footpath was erected. The stump was now sprouting but in a totally disorganized way so I decided to do some work to help it knowing I would be back that way in the Autumn. 

Upon my return I again dallied and managed to develop the earlier work. Entirely by accident I now find myself back on the same mooring and again time is on my side so I have taken the stump project to the next level. Out of the chaos we now have a single stem coming from a stump which I estimate to be well over a hundred years old and possibly two hundred.

When photos are uploaded you will be able to see why it is called the phoenix tree an it is my ernest hope it will be 'protected' and allowed to flourish. Ash tree die back is decinating our national supply and the phoenix tree is fully heathy as of April 2025