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Monday 12th May 2026

Today, on one of the northern ramparts of Battlesbury, by the goat willow tree, these cows were curious and for a moment happy to pose for my camera. Reminding me that 47 years ago I had cows of mine own grazing on Battlesbury – good times, good memories, but like most of the past it was, or so it seems now, another life, another world. Farming was a big part of my early life. I will always be a farmer at heart.

Saturday 9th May 2026

There’s something magnificent about trees and this one, which I photographed today, north of Grovelands, Warminster, is no exception. I’ve photographed it a few times over the years. Once there were no houses to be seen in the background; not so now. As you can see the housebuilding at Gemini Drive, off Bath Road, is in view of the tree now.

A quick google reveals a single mature tree can be beneficial to thousands of species including invertebrates, birds, mammals, fungi and lichens. I’ve read online that a recent study says trillions of microscopic organisms can occupy the tissues of a tree. David Attenborough and others have told us how important trees are – they combat climate change, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce our all-important oxygen for life on Earth. They have been described as the lungs of the planet. They mitigate extreme heat and are valuable flood defences.

I love trees. There are some in our locality that I have known since I was a child. They are like old friends. They should be venerated. Many are magnificent in maturity. It is truly sad when they fall or are cut down. Even in decay they can be beautiful and still lend themselves well for photography. I hope to add as much as I can about our local trees to my website: dannyhowell.net Do you have a favourite tree in or around Warminster? Have you any anecdotes or recollections about Warminster trees past or present? Let me know so I can add such things to the record. email: dannyhowellnet@gmail.com