Odd Down Tree Trail, 22 March 2026

Leader: Hugh Williamson

After an overnight frost and temperature of 1°C, by the time 10 of us gathered to meet our leader, Hugh Williamson, of Bath Urban Treescape, we had a lovely sunny morning and 12°C. We met at Odd Down Sports Ground in Bath. Our two-hour tree trail circular walk was to take us through local urban areas and green spaces.

Hugh started by telling us about Bath Urban Treescape and how it currently has 15 trail maps available, in paper form and digitally. Four new ones will be published in 2026, one of which will be the one we walked today, “Odin’s Odyssey”*. Four more are planned for publishing next year. Website : bathurbantreescape.com
Also, you can check Bath Box Office website for tree trail guided walks.

We walked the short way from the sports ground to Bloomfield Tumps where we saw a healthy Ash of about 30 m high, with an Elm beside it, plus a Common Beech over 100 years old. We learned that elms are not very fertile in the UK so they spread by suckering which makes them susceptible to disease.

Crossing the road, we reached Corston View Park. Of note here, we observed Black (American) Walnut, Blackthorn in glorious bloom, fast-growing Robinias (Black Locust), along with the community orchard, mainly apple trees, planted in 2016/2017. Hugh also pointed out Norway Maple, with its vertical, narrow grooves on the trunk, plus some different Salix trees/shrubs – Corkscrew Willow and Goat Willow.

We crossed Rush Hill and walked on a path alongside the old Clark’s factory which is now new housing. Hugh pointed out an old Field Maple – or was it two which had grown and entangled together? We arrived at Odin’s* and Vernham Play Space which was interesting for its Aspens, a UK native Poplar species. It is not common, not usually setting seed but suckering. We also saw a fine example of an Italian Alder.

A little further on we came across a triangle of grass in a residential road which had been planted with some unusual young trees. These included a Camperdown Elm, a small weeping tree with a mushroom-shaped, umbrella-like form; one Hungarian Oak; one Persian Ironwood, a compact slow-growing deciduous tree. 

Across the street was a roadside Wych Elm which Hugh believes to be the only Wych Elm in Bath actually planted on a street. It is quite hardy and more resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

We made our way to cross the A367 near Odd Down P&R. Along the roadside we admired a fine Norway Maple close to St Gregory’s School. From here, we walked along the Wansdyke and Hugh pointed out an Oak which had been full of artichoke galls when he had walked past in Autumn. These are caused by the gall wasp Andricus foecundatrix laying eggs in leaf buds. The galls actually resemble small globe artichokes but cause no or little harm to the tree. We left the Wansdyke on a cut-through taking us beside Sainsbury’s and Three Ways School.

We crossed the Frome Road into St Martin’s Hospital where Hugh showed us a Tulip Tree, which is related to the Magnolia, and a Corkscrew Willow. We touched on the history of the spot which was the site of the Bath Union Workhouse, with burial ground nearby on Wellsway. Just before emerging onto the Wellsway, Hugh pointed out a Downy Birch, Betula pubescens. He explained that in Spring the leaves and twigs are slightly fuzzy/downy. Both male and female flowers (catkins) appear on the same tree from April to May.

We crossed Wellsway onto Chelwood Drive and made our way back to the start, Odd Down Sports Ground.

* Odin’s Road and Odin’s Play Space in Odd Down. The name is believed to be connected to the Wansdyke, or Woden’s Dyke. Named after the god Odin/Woden.

Carole Catling