Powys border students plant oak to to celebrate town charter

Evie and Josh, pupils from the Gardening Club at Bishop's Castle Primary School, Oak Meadow helped the town’s Mayor Councillor Josh Dickin plant a Charter Oak.

Going Wild in Bishop's Castle, a local voluntary group, arranged some walks to veteran oaks, which are at least 450 years old, in the local area as part of the summertime celebrations.

Catherine Murphy, member of the Going Wild in Bishop's Castle steering group, said: "They are now beginning the process of finding space for the planting of future veterans in our landscape.

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“Ransford sawmill, Bishop's Castle, has helped the school gardening club with the bag of compost to plant some acorns earlier in November and this oak sapling planting,

"It is hoped that the acorns will develop into saplings for future plantings."

Earlier this year Going Wild for Bishop’s Castle shared its plans to encourage local people to plant 400 saplings over a five-year period and then “protect them, care for them, and keep a record of this event – to celebrate the creation of Bishop’s Castle through its Charter year and beyond.

“In this way we can increase the chances of more of these incredible trees being around in another 400 years,” the organisation added.

Bishop’s Castle celebrated the historic milestone with a Tudor-style street fair on Sunday, July 16, which included jesters, music, food and a Royal visit from none other than Queen Elizabeth I.

The event was held on the actual 450th anniversary of the granting of the charter which took the town from being dependant on the bishops to being self-governing.

Well-known local musician John Kirkpatrick MBE wrote a special song to mark the occasion. The song was first performed following a presentation of the charter to the town’s mayor Josh Dickin by Queen Elizabeth I, also known as former Bishop’s Castle resident Sally Titley nee Roberts, who was also queen for the day during the 400th anniversary celebrations in 1973. A procession from the churchyard  to the Town Hall was led by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, the Mayor and his councillors.