Ancient trees, veteran trees and deadwood

Some ancient Devon oak trees are around 1000 years old.

The dead and decaying wood in and from these trees is one of the most wildlife-rich and important habitats in Devon.

Other important microhabitats include rot holes, loose bark and sap runs.

What we need to do and where
Large old ancient tree within parkland, overgrown with ivy and other green leaves, with no new growths from the branches

Arlington Court, Cheryl Duerden

Snapshot

What wildlife-rich looks like:

Dead branches, decaying wood, holes, cavities, splits, sap runs and loose bark. Ancient trees with wide and hollow trunks. Features support a wealth of wildlife, particularly moths, beetles, flies, fungi, lichens, nesting birds and roosting bats. A range of flowering plants, trees and shrubs are close by and provide nectar and pollen for the moths, beetles and flies.

Devon Special Species include:

Birds: Hole nesting species: lesser spotted woodpeckers, pied flycatchers, spotted flycatchers, marsh tits kestrel, starling (but all insect eaters will benefit)

Bats: Bechstein’s, barbastelle (but all will benefit from the insects)

Insects: Moths of Dartmoor broadleaved woodlands, blue ground beetle, six-spotted longhorn beetle, apple lacebug, veteran tree flies

Lichens and fungi: Deadwood lichens, Veteran tree lichens.

UK significance:

UK priority habitat: Yes

Statutory irreplaceable habitats: Ancient and veteran trees

Wider benefits: Carbon storage, pollinators and natural pest control (insects)

1. About

Ancient and veteran trees are exceptionally rich in wildlife. Ancient trees are those which have reached a great age for their species. An oak tree might live for around 900 years, while a hawthorn may reach around 150 years. They often have very wide trunks (some large trees can look squat) and many are hollow. Due to their age they support features such as dead and decaying wood, fungi, splits, holes, cavities, sap runs and loose or flaking bark.

Veteran trees share many of the features of ancient trees but can be any age, so all ancient trees are also veteran trees but many veteran trees aren’t yet ancient. Some veteran trees can be relatively young but have developed ancient features due to environmental stress. For example, environmental stress can cause trees to reduce their crown. As a result, large bare branches may extend from a smaller, leafy crown. This resembles the antlers of a stag and so oaks are sometimes called ‘stag’s-head oaks’.

Since all ancient trees can also be defined as veteran trees, on this page the term veteran tree is used for both.

Veteran trees are found across Devon, in woodlands and as individual trees in rural and urban areas. Concentrations can be found in wood pasture and parkland habitats. The Woodland Trust’s ancient tree map shows that the majority are found in the southern half of Devon, particularly in east Devon and south-west of Dartmoor.

Famous ancient trees in Devon include the King John’s Oak, an 800-year-old oak tree in the medieval deer park at Shute in east Devon and the Meavy (Royal) Oak on Dartmoor, which is thought to be 900 years old.  

Veteran trees, deadwood and other microhabitats

The features found in veteran trees provide microhabitats for a wealth of wildlife including insects, lichens, fungi, mosses, bats and birds.

A few key features, and the wildlife they support, include:

Holes and crevices: Holes provide shelter and nesting sites for a range of species. Lots of birds use holes for nesting, including woodpeckers, tawny owls, barn owls and nuthatches. Focus Species include lesser spotted woodpeckers, pied flycatchers and spotted flycatchers. Most species of bat (other than horseshoes) will roost in tree holes and tiny crevices, including rare Bechstein’s bats. Bats also use trees for maternity roosts in the summer. Ancient trees with wide trunks, where temperatures remain more stable, provide deeper hibernating sites for bats.

Dead and decaying wood: Dead and decaying wood is one of the most wildlife-rich and important microhabitats in Devon. A group of invertebrates (known as saproxylic invertebrates) depend on dead or decaying wood. Different species need different types of decaying wood found in different parts of the tree.

Larvae of rare beetles (such as the six-spotted longhorn beetle now only found at Watersmeet SSSI) feed on the dry rot typical of the heartwood in old trees. Rare fly larvae prefer to feed on moist, white rot, typical of sap wood and younger veteran trees. A group of rare lichens live on well-lit, dry and exposed deadwood.

Veteran trees in Dartmoor’s woodlands support rare invertebrates. These include the endangered blue ground beetle, which hibernates under bark or in dead wood, and rare moths such as the silver-streaked beauty and beautiful bark moth feed on decaying wood found under bark.

Some of the UK’s largest and most attractive flies are associated with decaying wood. In Devon these include the buff-tailed bumblefly, orange-belted plumehorn and the spectacular orange-sided comb-horn. 

Bark: Rare lichens live on well-lit, old bark found on veteran trees, while rare barbastelle bats roost under flaky bark. Bark also provides shelter for invertebrates.

Fungi: Many invertebrates, particularly flies, feed on decomposing fungi found on veteran trees, such as bracket fungi.

Veteran trees are important habitats in orchards. For example, the threatened apple lacebug is only known from old apple trees in Devon and Cornwall.

Health check

To be added before final publication of the LNRS to ensure that the most up to date information is used from NE and DBRC.  

Area and distribution

Ancient and veteran trees are recorded on the Ancient Tree Inventory, which is managed by the Woodland Trust and based on volunteer assessment and recording. It’s not a statutory record and some estimate that only 10% of ancient and veteran trees are included.

Trees recorded in Devon since 2004:

Ancient trees: 131 

Veteran trees: 1,168 

Notable trees: 777 

Designations and protection

Veteran trees are in the wood pasture and parkland SSSIs as contributory features, although none are designated individually. Many will be subject to Tree Preservation Orders but there is no central record. It’s thought that 75% are not subject to formal protection.

Condition

There is evidence that in the last century 50% of veteran trees have been lost in parts of England.

There are no specific records of the overall condition of ancient and veteran trees in Devon.

Between 2010 and 2015, deadwood levels were unfavourable in 80% of native woodland habitat and 73% of non-native woodland habitat. This is the single biggest reason for woods being in unfavourable condition (National Forest Inventory 2020).

Key pressures and opportunities

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Management

Much of the nature value of veteran trees, in particular for fungi and invertebrates, lies in their deadwood (large or small diameter, still on the tree or lying on adjacent ground). Concerns over safety and ‘untidiness’ often lead to deadwood being removed and crowns reduced, usually when this is unnecessary.

Lack of management of veteran trees can also reduce their lifespan.

Veteran trees continue to be felled unnecessarily because they’re believed to be dying when bracket fungi are found growing on them. Across our urban and rural landscapes, brash is burnt in bonfires or chipped rather than being left or piled in a corner where it can rot down naturally.   

Veteran trees in woodlands (especially conifer plantations on ancient woodland sites) can be overlooked and overshaded by other trees.

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Root and mycorrhizal fungi zone

Healthy roots with their associated mycorrhizal fungi are essential for healthy veteran trees. Ploughing and compaction by animals and vehicles can directly damage roots or compact soils, which then harms the roots. Built development and works to install underground services have a similar effect. Retaining or reinstating permeable rooting areas is critical.

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Disease

Veteran trees are being lost due to diseases such as ash dieback. However, the increase in deadwood as a result diseases can be a strange silver lining. Dutch elm disease has led to the loss of nearly every mature elm in the county, while ash dieback is currently leading to a large increase in decaying wood. 

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Continuity of habitat: veteran trees of the future

The loss of a veteran tree is a disaster for the species that it hosts if there is no other veteran tree nearby they can disperse to. Many species that rely on veteran trees (especially invertebrates and lichens) are only able to disperse over small distances and now often live in isolated refuges. It’s critical that replacement trees are allowed to grow and mature and that networks of future veteran trees are created in order that species can move as they need.       

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Climate change

Ancient trees have a relatively high level of resilience compared to younger trees of the same species. However, there’s a risk that trees growing in the open may be more susceptible to flooding or storm damage, even more so if they’re already compromised. Some trees may not be able to fully recover from frost.

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Deer and grey squirrels

High numbers of deer and grey squirrels can harm veteran trees. Squirrels can damage bark on older trees, which may increase the risk of disease. Deer can reduce new growth on trees and prevent future veteran trees from regenerating.

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Funding

There is funding available from the Forestry Commission to support the management of veteran trees.

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Cultural and historic value

Ancient and veteran trees have huge cultural and historic value. They’re much loved, which provides great opportunities to increase awareness and action for existing trees and ensure that a network of future veteran trees is developed.

2. What we need to do and where

Priority

Better (healthy and wildlife-rich) and more ancient and veteran trees, benefiting Devon Special Species and achieving wider benefits such as carbon capture.

See Find out more below for detailed guidance and sources of funding and advice.

Actions for ancient and veteran trees

Manage ancient and veteran trees and their microhabitats (decaying wood, holes, loose bark) for wildlife. Obtain expert advice from veteran tree specialists and develop management plans for individual trees and key populations.

  • Leave standing and fallen deadwood, collapsed trees and branches (even small ones), other than where there’s a clear safety issue and no alternatives. Pile up deadwood and fallen branches rather than chipping or burning them.
  • Protect the root zone through sensitive management (consider impacts from vehicles, ploughing and stocking rates) and during infrastructure projects. Consider brash piling (especially fallen deadwood) and bramble zones to prevent compaction and increase habitat. 
  • Carry out works at times that are least likely to affect wildlife. For example, take care during breeding and hibernation seasons.
  • Avoid carrying out works in woodlands that will cause sudden changes in light levels or humidity as these can reduce the wildlife value of veteran trees, including by affecting bat roosts.
  • Carry out sensitive thinning of woodlands around existing veteran trees to give them more space and exposure to light.

Create networks of future veteran trees across Devon so that species have continuity of habitat and can disperse across the county

  • Plant trees, allow natural regeneration and, where needed, carry out veteranisation of younger trees near to existing veteran trees. Follow national best practice guidance and standards regarding, for example, species selection and spacing.
  • Veteranise younger trees in even-aged woodland and broadleaved monoculture plantations. 

Develop and implement collaborative landscape-scale approaches to squirrel control and deer management.

Survey, research and awareness

  • Increase training for volunteers to carry out surveys, including specialist surveys for species such as invertebrates, bats and lichens.
  • Everyone to share records to improve the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory to better understand Devon’s trees, target action and monitor change.
  • Train more specialist veteran tree consultants.
  • Develop a joined-up network and advice service (rural and urban) for land managers that:
    • Raises awareness of the value of veteran trees, their microhabitats and species.
    • Raises awareness of dead and decaying wood.
    • Promotes management best practice and funding streams.
    • Increases understanding of bracket fungi and when they do or do not pose a risk to trees and safety.
    • Promotes engaging flagship species such as the buff-tailed bumblefly.
    • Promotes demonstration sites and case studies.
  • Support and build on the work of the Devon Ancient Tree Forum.

Where to focus action

Wildlife will benefit from these actions being implemented across Devon and no High Opportunity Areas have been mapped specifically for Ancient and Veteran trees.. 

The Woodland Trust’s map of records of Ancient and Veteran trees is shown on the LNRS Viewer under Designated Sites and Statutory Irreplaceable habitats. This mapping is not comprehensive and in line with government policy (Keepers of Time, 2022) all ancient and veteran trees (including their root zones) should be considered as statutory irreplaceable habitats. Please contact the Woodland Trust to add trees to the map.

Actions are relevant in the following High Opportunity Areas. See Mapping.

  • Ancient and other broadleaved woodland (existing)
  • Plantations on ancient woodland sites (existing)
  • Ancient wood pasture and other wood pasture and parkland sites (existing)
  • Woody habitat expansion areas (Warning: this layer includes scattered small areas which are not continuous with woodlands. These will be removed after the public consultation when the map is reviewed)   

Advice should be obtained before any tree establishment, including natural colonisation, takes place in the following High Opportunity Areas and Species Opportunity Areas to ensure that it complements and supports existing wildlife:

  • All areas in the Wildlife-rich grassland mosaic group
  • All areas in the Heath, mire and rush pasture mosaics group
  • All areas in the Upland bog, heath and mire mosaics group
  • Coastal habitats and Coastal Wildbelt
  • Dartmoor breeding wader recovery zones
  • Whinchat zones
  • Wintering estuarine birds
  • Teign Gorge rock spiders
  • Greater horseshoe and grey long-eared bat sustenance zones
  • Marsh fritillary and the narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth zone
  • South Devon arable plant zone

Important:

Always check that actions will not conflict with statutory requirements (for example, statutory wildlife sites such as SSSIs or scheduled monuments) or harm existing wildlife habitats, the historic environment or landscapes. See the Environmental considerations page for more information.

3. Inspiration

Case studies

This section will be finalised following public consultation. Please share any case studies and places to visit as well as high quality photos. A few ideas are given below.

Devon Ancient Tree Forum

The Devon Ancient Tree Forum brings together specialists, enthusiasts and ancient tree owners to share best practice and visit sites across Devon

Ideas: The Flitton Oak, North Molton, nominated for Tree of the Year in 2023. Halo thinning carried out for overshading beech. National Trust.

Where to visit

Always follow the Countryside Code and keep to footpaths and sites that are managed for public access. 

Parklands

Ancient and veteran trees can be seen in National Trust parklands at Killerton, Saltram, Arlington and Knightshayes and urban parks such as Devonport in Plymouth and Phear Park in Exmouth.

Ancient tree at Killerton, a warped twisted trunk with lots of small plants taking over

For information on visiting these and other sites that are open to the public please see the Explore Devon website.

4. Find out more

 This section will be tidied up and finalised following public consultation. Please share any links.

The Devon Tree and Woodland Strategy (2024) can be found on the Devon Local Nature Partnership website

The Ancient Tree Forum has lots of useful resources.

The Devon Ancient Tree Forum was established in 2005 and runs trips to sites across the county.

Mapped ancient and veteran trees in Devon are shown on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory (the inventory as of 2025 is shown on the LNRS Viewer). Please add trees to this map (all additions are visited and verified by a Woodland Trust expert).

The Woodland Trust has lots of information on Ancient trees. They also have a series of guidance notes produced in collaboration with the Ancient Tree Forum. Including:

  • Ancient Trees and Farming
  • Ancient Trees in Historic Parks and Landscape Gardens
  • Ancient Trees and Development
  • The Special Wildlife of Ancient and Veteran Trees
  • Trees for the Future – guidance on establishing trees which will become veteran trees
  • Ancient tree guide 5: Trees and climate change, 2008

To discuss with the Woodland Trust:

The Woodland Trust and Ancient Tree Forum have produced guidance on caring for ancient and veteran trees on farms  and Ancient and Veteran trees: further guidance on management

There is funding through Government agri-environment schemes for management of veteran trees and wood pasture and parkland. 

Veteran Trees – A guide to good management, English Nature

An inventory of Devon’s parklands, wood pasture and veteran tree sites was produced in 2007.

Woodland ecological condition in Britain. 2020. National Forest Inventory.  Forestry Commission.

The key Government policy position is set out in Keepers of Time.  This states that all ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are irreplaceable, regardless of whether they are present on the Ancient Woodland Inventory or Ancient Tree Inventory.  

VetCert qualifications for veteran tree management professionals  are now available across Europe, in the UK via the Arboricultural Assocation.

Prediction of distribution of veteran trees in the UK (published 2021) – This used modelling and the data in the ATI to learn more about the likely distribution of ancient and veteran trees across the UK  and produce a distribution map that highlights ‘hotspots’  likely to support unrecorded ancient trees.  Based on this, the most conservative estimate of ancient tree abundance in English wood-pastures was 101,402 trees, representing an increase of more than 2,000 %  on the known number of ancient trees in wood pastures. This prediction suggests that most ancient trees in the English landscape are yet to be recorded.  Full paper here.

Potential delivery partners

Land managers – especially of wood pasture and parkland sites.

National Trust

Woodland Trust

Devon Ancient Tree Forum

Devon Tree Officers

Protected Landscapes

Arboricultural Association

Natural England (SSSIs, ELM)

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