Bentley Priory Nature Trail
Post 3: The prominent tree with the V shaped double trunk is a wild service tree Sorbus torminalis. The leaves are a distinctive shape - see illustration below - as if the tree intended to have hand shaped leaves like a sycamore but stopped half way. The fruit is edible, although bitter, but is not much eaten today. Wild service trees, like hornbeam, are an indicator of ancient woodland, that is, land that has been wooded since 1600 and therefore probably never cleared by man.

To the left of the wild service tree and closer to the path is a lime or linden tree. The leaves have a distinctive extended tip - see illustration below.

Immediately ahead the path crosses a little valley called the Dell. The stream flows in from the housing to the east and is sadly often polluted.


Image: Leaf of Wild Service tree


Image: Leaf of Lime tree

To description for post 4

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