Aerial Photo

It is the best known avenue of Holm Oaks in Britain. The 450 Holm Oaks (Quercus Ilex) are evergreen and are from the Mediterranean. They were planted by David Lyon, a merchant returned from the West Indies, who bought the Goring Hall estate in 1834. David Lyon is one of the Bowes-Lyon family, of which the Queen Mother is the best known member. When the Queen Mother was a child, she walked under the towering cathedral of oak trees while staying at Goring Hall..

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Early History

There were ornamental gates at both ends until about 1940 when they were removed as part of the war effort. The main entrance was not using the Avenue, but at the existing lodge gate piers at the end of Goring Street opposite the Bull Inn. Holm Oaks were also planted on the East wall of the estate, now forming Sea Lane, Goring, and some also on the West wall on the border with Ferring, and in the Plantation which runs south from the Avenue to the Sea.

In August 1935 Hesketh Estates who had acquired Goring Hall made a gift of the Ilex Avenue to Worthing Borough Council, for public recreation, the Avenue is now managed by WBC.

Ilex Conservation Group

The Ilex Conservation Group is very active defending the avenue, and indeed the Goring Gap and other threats. It was formed in 1983 after a severe storm, to protest about the planned felling of some 79 trees in the Avenue.

The storms of 1983, 87, and 90 caused considerable damage, though the missing trees have from time to time been replaced with saplings.

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Fungus is not a problem

Whenever you speak to tree experts you hear different views of fungus. Half the experts say that any tree with fungus must be cut down and burnt immediately. The other half say that fungus is a necessary part of nature and should be allowed to flourish like any other species. In the case of the Holm Oak it appears that some fungus is mandatory.

For the technical readers: The holm oaks have to be inoculated with a mycorrhizal fungus since they are obligatorily mycotrophic plants which means that they are dependent on the mycorrhizal-sybiosis.

Rotting in the centre of trees is also claimed to be good, since a tube is inherently a more rigid structure than a solid rod. And only the outside inch or so of a tree is the bit that is alive and growing.

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What is an Avenue

This is not the traditional avenue. An avenue is two parallel rows of trees, usually with a road or path down the centre, obviously planted by man, and of uniform type and size.

Our local tree officer at his selection interview was asked what he would do with Ilex Avenue. Knowing, at that stage, nothing of the culture, he said that the existing trees, all of different sizes and shapes with other species interspersed should best be clear-felled and replanted. We have now educated him into the history and provenance of the Ilex Avenue, and he is as keen as we are to preserve the beauty and present character of the Avenue. This is not a park, and the trees therefore are maintained as woodland trees, not as ornamental specimens.

Threats to the Avenue

In October 1994 the Hall was opened as a private 52 bed hospital by Princess Margaret. They wanted to use 170 yards of the Ilex Avenue as part of the entrance drive. Ilex Conservation Group resisted this in an expensive legal battle that eventually reached the Treasury Solicitor before being thrown out. The current entrance which crosses the Ilex Avenue is not very satisfactory; there were some poor decisions made somewhere along the line. If they had asked for only the first 20 yards they might have got away with it.

The Ilex Avenue is a bridleway. It gets a bit cut up by the horses, but we try and persuade them to keep on the grass and stay off the footpath. Hores walking or trotting are welcomed; cantering or galloping is frowned on.

The Plantation has a path which is not registered but is well maintained by the council so we are not disturbing it. A bridleway means horses and pedestrians. Cycles are welcome. But not at the expense of the other uses. They wanted to make this part of the South Coast Cycleway, which would have meant a hardened surface. We successfully resisted this; if there was a hardened surface, motorcycles and cars would use it.

An added problem is that the bungalows in Midhurst Drive were built right up to to the trees. An additional lunacy with which we have to live. But the council did retain pruning rights for six feet into the gardens, and they have been told that we are just not interested in them doing their own pruning, or requests for the council to prune trees for reasons of view or shade. They bought the houses knowing the trees were there, so tough.

Interpretation Boards

Three interpretation boards, organised by the Ilex Conservation Group, have been placed in Goring spaced along the mile-long Ilex Avenue. One additional board is in the Goring Gap on the sea wall. Official unveiling was performed by the Mayor of Worthing in January 2003.

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Tree Management Plan

ICG have an agreed Tree Management Plan, which has been taken on board by the Worthing Borough Council Tree Officer, Peter Whish. The hope is that if Peter is suddenly no longer with us, at least the Plan will remain for his successor.

The 12 Key Clauses cover the need for regular inspection, which is required for insurance purposes anyway, trees not to be removed unless there are compelling safety reasons, replacing trees, encouragement of young trees by pruning back larger neighbours, selective removal of epicormic growth and suckers.

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