Introduction

Where is Ilex Avenue
Ilex Avenue runs for nearly a mile, from St Mary's Church, Goring-by-Sea, due west to the village of Ferring. A proud avenue of trees, a glossy, dark green sash to hold in the housing, loved by walkers and their dogs, a shady stroll away from the traffic.

History
It is the best known avenue of Holm Oaks in Britain. Holm oaks are evergreen and are from the Mediterranean. They were planted by David Lyon 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 know member. He was a merchant returned from the West Indies.

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.

The Users
Many types of people want to use Ilex Way. Cars and motor cycles are definitely banned. The Avenue was designated a Bridle Way in 1954 so horses and bicycles are welcome, as well as people and their dogs.

I am Chairman of the Ilex Conservation Group which 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. Since then we have spread our wings to defend not only the Avenue, but also the Goring Gap, and any associated planning nonsenses that impact the peace and tranquility of Goring Residents.

Goring-by-Sea, not to be confused with Goring-on-Thames, is a residential area just West of Worthing, with a fine chalky beach, a wide greensward along the front and a peaceful atmosphere. The sea water is good with swimming best just before and just after high tide. No pier, no candy-floss, no slot-machines. In summer we have visitors from church outings and school groups to the seaside. At sea we have yacht racing from the Worthing Yacht Club, wind-surfing, some surf-boards, and, not so good, quite a lot of noisy jet-skis.

>> More on the Holm Oak

The Holm Oak Tree
The bottom line is that the Holm Oak is a poor engineering design, tending to divide just above the ground, particularly when originally planted in bunches to give a quicker screen, attracting fungus in the divide, and creating a heavy top particularly when in leaf leading to structural damage. Thus the storms of 1983, 87, and 90 caused considerable damage, though the missing trees have from time to time been replaced with saplings.

Saplings from the south of France
Saplings tend to be imported from the south of France. There is no reason why they cannot be grown in this country, indeed several members have some in their greenhouses. But they grow very slowly. And if you try and move mature trees no one in this country has the energy to root prune for two consecutive years so that they will survive a move.

Falling leaves
The falling leaves twice a year are a nuisance since they do not bio-degrade and are therefore not good for the compost. They also have catkins and acorns in season, also causing additional clear-up problems for the neighbours. With a few Pine trees near my garden dropping cones and needles, and a Yew tree dropping needles and vaste numnbers of poisonous red berries, there are many journeys each year down to the tip.

Research Project in Bremen
During February 2000 we sent a small number of Holm Oak acorns to the University of Bremen for the research project on how to protect the Holm Oaks in the South of France from dying out. Unfortunately by February we could only find just a few which the squirrels had spurned. They did get some more from Majorca.

Fungus, good or bad?
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.

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.

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.

Clear-fell the lot and start over?
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, 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.

Conducted walk-down and picnic
In conjunction with the Ferring Historical Week we plan a conducted walk down, and picnic tea in the Ilex Avenue near the sports field. Bring your picnic. We will have a bar-be-cue to cook your sausages. Meet the neighbours. Bring your dog. Enjoy the sunshine.

A Parish Map
A Parish Map is in being drawn by a group of local artists. Many villages are drawing maps and we are are not about to tbe left out. It is a delightfully informal project, done very much for the enjoyment of the artists, and so far without too much thought on how it shall be published. I am very much looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Millennium Tapestry
We contributed a very attractive panel of the Ilex Avenue for the Millennium Tapestry which will be displayed in Ferring at The Tudor Close Inn. All the local groups and many of the families in Ferring have contributed panels, and the result is going to be splendid.

Story Boards
We thought of erecting story-boards at both ends of the Avenue, but they were remarkably expensive and we did not think they would be sufficiently vandal proof. So we dropped the idea.

We 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 principles
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.

Our own tree consultant
We hired a consultant to advise us on this plan, which cost us a lot of money, but we wanted someone who was paid by us and responsible to us for his recommendations.

Management in the year 2000
All the trees in the Ilex Avenue have been inspected this year, suspect trees being examined with an ultrasonic tester, and a small amount of work has been scheduled this spring for the section near the Goring Hall Hospital.

Coppicing in the Plantation
In the Plantation itself we have been concerned about self-seed sycamores which are rapidly taking over. Work has started in coppicing the sycamores and planting with English Oak and Hazel in the spaces. The trunks of felled trees have been left to rot where they fall in accordance with good forestry practice, but if anyone has a need for eight foot sycamore fence posts, you know where to find some free.

The Saga of the Tramp
Talking of the Plantation we also had the saga of the tramp who camped under a fallen tree near the Goring Hall. All efforts by the police, fire service, social services and the neighbours failed to move him to more comfortable accommodation, and eventually parks department stepped in and removed the fallen tree. We do not know where he moved on to.

Keep out the Travellers
Like every other community we have had our share of visits by travellers who tended to come about twice a year and stay for 10 days. This area was originally scheduled for houses, and some roads were built by the developer. The Council bought them out after the war and formed a Strategic Gap. The roads therefore are still there and are an ideal site for caravans. This we resisted.

In the last year, height barriers were erected by West Sussex County Council. The good news is that the travellers have left us alone so far, and gone to pester other communities. Also the good news is that the area is the rightful preserve of the dog-walkers and learner drivers. And there seems to be less fly-tipping. Not so good is that horse boxes and commercial vehicles are now more often parked on Marine Drive, and that road is really not wide enough.

Preservation Trust
The Goring Gap Preservation Trust has recently been formed to provide a way to purchase the land in the Goring Gap should this become available, and to form a pressure group to ensure that no development is allowed in the Goring Gap. The objective is excellent - a green view from the downs to the sea, and from the sea wall to the downs. If we buy the land it will be as agricultural land, 117 acres for about £350,000. If we bought it at the building land price it would be at least ten times that price, for land in an attractive residential area like ours. So far the planning authorities have been on our side, but the government is currently not recognising Strategic Gaps as being valid.

Without the Goring Gap, a key aspect of the beauty of the Ilex Avenue would be destroyed.

The Erosion of the Gap
The gap has already been eroded. First by the railway in 1846. Then in 1950 a rash of bungalows was built between the Ilex Avenue and the railway line. This has significantly eroded the environment of the Ilex Avenue and we are determined that there shall be no more building anywhere in the gap for any reason, however much they plead a good cause. No sports pavilions. No public toilets. No car parks. No extensions to the Goring Hall Hospital. Definitely not in our back yard.

Pruning Rights
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.

 
Footpaths

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. The Plantation has a path which is not registered but as well maintained by the council so we are not disturbing it.

Avoid a hardened surface
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; where there ia a hardened surface, motorcycles and cars will use it.

The drive into Goring Hall
When Goring Hall was converted from a school to a hospital, they wanted to use 170 yards of the Ilex Avenue as party of the entrance drive. This having sold the the front entrance for houses. We 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.

Paths across the fields
Paths across the fields of the Goring Gap are established by tradition rather than registration, and each year when Farmer Langmead ploughs them up, they are soon re-trod. This year we shall walk through a crop of peas planted this spring.

It is said that the farmer applied at the end of last Summer for a government grant towards the growing of organic grain. The government had not only run out of budget, but also used up the budget for the current year as well. So no organic crops here, and the by that time it was too late in the Autumn to plant a winter crop.

Well, perhaps we have little litter. But nearly as much as you might expect for a well used path near a lot of houses. And the dog-owners are well behaved too and nearly always pick up their messes and place them in the 10 dog-bins provided along the length of the Avenue.

Like every beauty spot we have a few inconsiderate visitors.
Hate No 1. People who carefully pick up their dogs mess (excellent) but then cannot see the dog bin just handy so throw it into the bushes where it is almost impossible for the litter-picking team to retrieve.
Hate No 2. The lads of the village who try to establish their macho image by opening cans of lager, and then only drionking lalf, throwing the rest away; first I have to empty the can, then flatten it and only then can I put it in the bin.
Hate No 3. The freebee newspapers which people discard and let blow about in the prevaling South-West wind.
Hate No 4. Stones brought onto the grass by children or dogs, and left there to ruin the mower.

Animals
There are large numbers of squirrels, rabbits, and least one pair of foxes. Squirrels are agreed to be one of the biggest threats to trees, next only to man. The fox in the picture is actually tame and owned by a local resident.

Birds
Despite the intensive farming on the Grade 2 agricultural land, with hedges ruthlessly removed and ploughed over, there remain some small strips which are not let to the farmer, and these allow nesting of some attractive birds. Common birds include: Wood Pidgeon, Collared Dove, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Greenfinch. Less common are Tawney Owl, Redwing, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Goldfinch. There is a single female woodpecker this year which can often be heard.

Seagulls
In addition of course we have seagulls in great numbers, and they tell me there are many different species of waders.

Bat and Owl Boxes
In the last few months we have made and erected a number of bat boxes and owl nesting boxes in trees in the Ilex Avenue. The bat boxes with a narrow slot at the bottom are in clusters. The Owl boxes are sloping and open at the top, and are sited individually as owls are territorial.

Nine different groups involved
We find there are nine different groups involved with the environment in our local area. Four voluntary organisations, and four councils, of which Worthing has two different departments. We are trying to bring these bodies together to prevent our treading on each others toes. We ought to be able to save on the effort of collecting annual subscriptions and also take advantage of cross-selling of each others activities.

>> Ilex Conservation Group
>> Goring Residents' Association
>> Worthing Borough Council
>> Arun District Council
>> West Sussex County Council
>> Goring Gap Preservation Trust
Ferring Conservation Group

Every support short of actual help
Not least of the problems is that everyone is so busy, and though the social events go well, there is no one who has time to attend committees, write letters, attend planning meetings. I am sure every other area has exactly these problems.

But we are doing our best; and what more can any man do?