Occasionally in a project a fact or series of facts arise that raise an eyebrow and start off a line of thinking that can get beyond the scope of the commissioning project. This page is dedicated to those facts.

Project Title - Images of Hampstead Heath
Services used - Commissioned Photographic
Discovery - While walking across Hampstead Heath taking photographs for the client's website, this oak tree was very striking in both its form and in its ring of dead branches in front of it. It is Quercus x hispanica 'Fulhamensis' (Fulham Oak) and has been pruned in a more sensitive manner than the normal hideous tree pruning common in urban areas. The arboriculturalists have carried out Natural Fracture Pruning and Coronet Cutting to reduce the size of the crown and mimic natural storm damage branch fractures.
Relevance to Project - As a tree with a strong form and having been submitted to innovative treatment in its management, to photograph it was very relevant to the project.
Further questions raised - It would be really good if this technique could genuinely help the tree to cope with the fungal attack that warranted the treatment. It is certainly a fine example of an interesting technique.

Project Title - Lichen Flora of Jersey
Services used - Biographical, Map and Landscape Research
Discovery - The major figure in the history of Jersey lichenology and in fact a key figure in lichenology for Europe was a man called Charles du Bois Larbalestier. The son of a sea captain he graduated from St John's College, Cambridge and was then variously a school master or tutor for the rest of his life. While he ran a small school in his mother's house in St Aubin he taught the two sons of the Seigneur of Sark.
Relevance to Project - The mother of the two boys was a long-term friend and fellow lichenologist Louisa Collings it points to an interesting turn in their friendship. In the 1870 census the older boy is 19. This is old for schooling even if he was being groomed for Oxbridge and raises a question of 'character'.
Further questions raised - There are probably further records within the Seigneury and this is under investigation.

Project Title - Land in Tunbridge Wells Borough
Services used - Cartographic Research
Discovery - In the middle of the site an area of woodland contained ancient woodland indicator species, but their distribution was patchy. The map evidence, including an unusual map from 1737 and the Tithe Map, gave no evidence of woodland cover for that area in recent history. There was, however, evidence for a wooded path (now gone) running along the western edge of the area in question. It is likely from the nature of the evidence that this path was a major through route for several centuries until replaced by another to the east.
Relevance to Project - the presence of a wooded path for several centuries explains both the presence and distribution of the ancient woodland indicator species. This has been fed into the management recommendations for the site.

Project Title - Gravesend Riverside Leisure Area
Services used - Landscape Research, Photographic, Graphics and Public Consultation Services
Discovery - The Riverside Leisure Area is a complicated amalgamation of fort, late medieval chantry building, promenade, memorial gardens, the site of a church and two swimming pools, a boating lake and pleasure grounds. While the memorial gardens and promenade were influenced by the designs of HE Milner, son of E Milner, studies of the Council Minute books proved the council officers to have been responsible for many of the other features themselves. This included a feature known as The Dell, actually part of the the moat of the fort, and most of the key structures such as the bandstand. A key figure to the nineteenth century history of the whole area was the Mayor of Gravesend, Mr GM Arnold and this was also made very clear in the Minute Books.
Relevance to Project - this was of high relevance to the project, explaining some of the problems of cohesion. This allowed designs for the entire area to be put forward.
Further questions raised - with a site of this size and complexity there will always be more questions to be answered. Any of Mayor Arnold's papers could be helpful if they exist. So far not many have been identified. There is further material not yet catalogued in the Centre for Kentish Studies that could be very helpful.

Project Title - College in St Leonards
Services used - Landscape Research, Biographical Research, Graphics
Discovery - the site was reputed to have been based on designs by AW Pugin, including the chapel, but this is not likely. It is far more probable that his son EW Pugin did the early design, which was later reduced in scale and cost by one of his colleagues. While the architect's drawings were located in Australia, the whole history of the site turned out to be interwoven with the history of the Catholic movement in nineteenth-century England. A key trustee of the land was Col. Charles Towneley, of Towneley Hall, Burnley. It was not possible in the terms of the commissioned work to take this further, since the records would require a great deal of detective work to locate and their importance was lower than much of the material already discovered.
Relevance to Project - It could have provided evidence of the decisions made prior to the construction of the school (the original use of the site), which may have involved choice of architect for the buildings. However, it is more probable that decisions were made at random at that time so the papers if they exist could prove inconclusive.
Further questions raised - where are Charles Towneley's records?

Project Title - Buxted Park
Services used - Landscape History
Discovery - the Park includes a lime avenue of substantial age that was damaged severely in the 1987 and 1990 storms. Researches on this avenue provided little direct evidence, apart from a comment made in Miles Hadfield's History of Gardening which attributed, sadly with no reference, the avenue to 1637. Tree ring dating of a fallen tree of substantial age was close to this date. No evidence has been obtained to discover where Miles Hadfield came upon his list.
Relevance to Project - The tree ring date was sufficient for the report, but if the evidence could be discovered the source of the trees could be identified. Given the date this would almost certainly have been a continental source. As far as the avenue is concerned it has been left in situ for nature conservation considerations.
Further questions raised - Further planting on the estate could be considered from a similar source, although the current high numbers of 'phoenix trees' could also be a source for further planting..