The Severn Hams is a landscape shaped by water. Stretching across the floodplain of the River Severn, this rich mosaic of habitats is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife. 

As one of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Nature Recovery Zones, the Severn Hams is made richer for nature by farmers, landowners, communities and partners like Grundon. Together, these efforts create wildlife-rich corridors where nature can thrive and move through the Severn Hams.

But look closely and you’ll also find another defining feature of the landscape - its trees.

Willow pollards can be found dotted across the Severn Hams, often marking the edges of fields, following old hedgerows or standing alongside the network of ditches that criss-cross the floodplain. Their distinctive, often gnarled shapes have become an iconic part of the landscape.

People have been managing these trees for generations and this is an important part of looking after the wider landscape and the wildlife that depends on it.

What is a pollarded willow?

Pollarding is a traditional form of tree management where the upper branches of a tree are cut back on a regular rotation. Rather than removing the tree entirely, this encourages new growth from the same point on the trunk.

For willows, which thrive in the wet conditions of the Severn Hams, this can be particularly effective. Over time, repeated pollarding creates the distinctive, knobbly forms we see across the floodplain.

It also helps extend the life of the tree.

As pollarded willows age, they can develop hollow trunks, cavities, cracks and areas of dead and decaying wood. To us, a hollow trunk or a branch covered in dead wood might look like a sign of a tree in decline. For wildlife, they're a valuable habitat.

Support Harry’s Mission for the Severn Hams

Old trees have a lot going on

An old willow pollard can be a miniature ecosystem in its own right.

Holes and cavities provide nesting and roosting places for birds and bats, while cracks and decaying wood offer shelter for insects and other invertebrates. The dead and decaying wood is particularly important for saproxylic species – animals that depend on dead or decaying wood for at least part of their life cycle (find out more about saproxylic species through our Dead Wood Society here).

The longer these trees survive, the longer they can provide these specialist habitats.

That is one of the reasons why managing old trees is so important. It can be tempting to think that the best thing we can do for a tree is simply leave it alone. But in some landscapes, traditional management techniques such as pollarding are essential to keeping ancient and veteran trees alive for longer.

Without it, an old pollard can become unstable, or large limbs can fail under their own weight. Carefully timed pollarding can reduce this risk while encouraging fresh growth and preserving the important deadwood and cavities that have developed over decades.

Looking after the wider landscape

The landscape we see in the Severn Hams today has been shaped by generations of farmers and landowners, that have managed the hedgerows, ditches and – of course – willow pollards.

By looking after individual trees, we are also protecting the habitats and wider ecological networks they support. A single old willow might provide a home for bats, birds and countless invertebrates, while a line of trees along a ditch can form an important feature within the wider landscape.

Trees also play a hugely important role in our ecosystem. They store carbon, provide shade and shelter and help give the Severn Hams its distinctive character.

Supporting the Severn Hams

Thanks to funding from Grundon via the Landfill Communities Fund, we are able to continue this important work to pollard willow trees across the Severn Hams

You can also make a difference by donating to our Severn Hams appeal. Find out more here: https://www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/harrys-mission-severn-ha…