The Poem Tree
Encyclopedia
The Poem Tree is a beech
tree with a poem carved into it by Joseph Tubb
, located on Castle Hill at Wittenham Clumps
in Oxfordshire
, England
.
The poem was carved in the 1840s, but the tree – although still extant – died in the 1990s. A stone, including a transcription and rubbing
of the poem, was erected close to the tree in 1994 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the carving.
Where the twin Clumps their sheltering branches spread
The summit gain'd at ease reclining lay
And all around the wide spread scene survey
Point out each object and instructive tell
The various changes that the land befell
Where the low bank the country wide surrounds
That ancient earthwork form'd old Mercia's bounds
In misty distance see the barrow heave
There lies forgotten lonely Cwichelm's grave.
Around this hill the ruthless Danes intrenched
And these fair plains with gory slaughter drench'd
While at our feet where stands that stately tower
In days gone by up rose the Roman power
And yonder, there where Thames smooth waters glide
In later days appeared monastic pride.
Within that field where lies the grazing herd
Huge walls were found, some coffins disinter'd
Such is the course of time, the wreck which fate
And awful doom award the earthly great.
. It has been suggested that the poem, which is also a summary of the location's history, was an example of Tubb's repressed creativity – his ambition was to be a wood carver but was pressured into being a maltster through family tradition. The "ancient earthwork" at "Mercia
's bounds" may be Grim's Ditch
or The Ridgeway
(the latter is formed by part of Grim's Ditch). At the time of Alfred the Great
, the border between Mercia and Wessex
ran roughly in a line from east to west through the region. The mention of Cwichelm's (or Culchelm's) grave refers to Scutchamer Knob
, a barrow
on the The Ridgeway near Grim's Ditch
, approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south-west of the Poem Tree. The barrow was originally known as Cwichelmeshlaew or Cwichelm's Barrow, and is historically recorded as the site at which Cwichelm of Wessex
was killed by Edwin of Northumbria
in 636. Tubb's assertion that the barrow could be seen in the misty distance is plausible; Tim Allen (an Oxford-based archaeologist) suggests that on a clear day the Berkshire Downs
can be viewed from the hills and vice-versa.
The "smooth waters" of the River Thames
refers to the river running through Dorchester-on-Thames, where the "monastic pride" of the Augustinian Dorchester Abbey
is mentioned.
The disenterred coffins may refer to an 18th century discovery of two skeletons at the summit of Round Hill. The slopes of the two hills were used for grazing, where excavations have revealed remains of buildings (including a possible Roman villa
).
geographer Henry Osmaston took a rubbing
of the poem before it became largely illegible.
In the 1980s, the health of the tree began to decline and it died in the early 1990s. The trunk remains, though its branches have been removed. The poem is now difficult to read; the few legible letters have been distorted with growth of the tree.
In 1994, a plaque and stone were placed nearby to commemorate 150 years since the carving. The plaque, which features a copy of Osmaston's 1965 tracing, is fixed to a large Sarsen
stone.
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
tree with a poem carved into it by Joseph Tubb
Joseph Tubb
Joseph Tubb was a maltster from Oxfordshire, England. His lasting legacy is the Poem Tree at Wittenham Clumps.- Biography :Tubb lived at Lavender Cottage in Warborough, a village near the town of Dorchester. He wished to become a wood carver, but his father convinced him to become a maltster...
, located on Castle Hill at Wittenham Clumps
Wittenham Clumps
Wittenham Clumps is the commonly used name for a set of small hills in the flat Thames Valley, in the civil parish of Little Wittenham in the English county of Oxfordshire....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The poem was carved in the 1840s, but the tree – although still extant – died in the 1990s. A stone, including a transcription and rubbing
Rubbing
Rubbing is a reproduction of the texture of a surface with something to deposit marks, most often created with Charcoal, Wax, Crayons, Chalk, or various forms of Blotted and Rolled Ink...
of the poem, was erected close to the tree in 1994 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the carving.
Carving
Tubb carved the 20-line poem into the tree over two weeks in the summer. Taking a ladder and a tent to the beech tree, Tubb carved the poem into the tree from memory, regularly forgetting to take the original copy with him. Sources vary as to whether the carving took place in 1844 or between 1844 and 1845.Poem
As up the hill with labr'ing steps we treadWhere the twin Clumps their sheltering branches spread
The summit gain'd at ease reclining lay
And all around the wide spread scene survey
Point out each object and instructive tell
The various changes that the land befell
Where the low bank the country wide surrounds
That ancient earthwork form'd old Mercia's bounds
In misty distance see the barrow heave
There lies forgotten lonely Cwichelm's grave.
Around this hill the ruthless Danes intrenched
And these fair plains with gory slaughter drench'd
While at our feet where stands that stately tower
In days gone by up rose the Roman power
And yonder, there where Thames smooth waters glide
In later days appeared monastic pride.
Within that field where lies the grazing herd
Huge walls were found, some coffins disinter'd
Such is the course of time, the wreck which fate
And awful doom award the earthly great.
Inspiration and interpretation
The poem is inspired by Tubb's fondness of the surrounding landscape, which is described in the first half of the first stanzaStanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
. It has been suggested that the poem, which is also a summary of the location's history, was an example of Tubb's repressed creativity – his ambition was to be a wood carver but was pressured into being a maltster through family tradition. The "ancient earthwork" at "Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
's bounds" may be Grim's Ditch
Grim's Ditch
Grim's Ditch, Grim's Dyke or Grim's Bank is a name shared by a number of prehistoric bank and ditch earthworks...
or The Ridgeway
The Ridgeway
thumb|right|thumb|The ancient tree-lined path winds over the downs countrysideThe Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road...
(the latter is formed by part of Grim's Ditch). At the time of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, the border between Mercia and Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
ran roughly in a line from east to west through the region. The mention of Cwichelm's (or Culchelm's) grave refers to Scutchamer Knob
Scutchamer Knob
Scutchamer Knob, also known as Cuckhamsley Hill and occasionally as Scotsman's Knob or Beacon Hill, is an early Iron Age round barrow on the Ridgeway National Trail at East Hendred Down in the English county of Oxfordshire .Originally called Cwichelmeshlaew or Cwichelm's Barrow, it is recorded as...
, a barrow
Round barrow
Round barrows are one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. Although concentrated in Europe they are found in many parts of the world because of their simple construction and universal purpose....
on the The Ridgeway near Grim's Ditch
Grim's Ditch
Grim's Ditch, Grim's Dyke or Grim's Bank is a name shared by a number of prehistoric bank and ditch earthworks...
, approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south-west of the Poem Tree. The barrow was originally known as Cwichelmeshlaew or Cwichelm's Barrow, and is historically recorded as the site at which Cwichelm of Wessex
Cwichelm of Wessex
Cwichelm was an Anglo-Saxon king of the Gewisse, a people in the upper Thames area who later created the kingdom of Wessex. He is usually counted among the Kings of Wessex....
was killed by Edwin of Northumbria
Edwin of Northumbria
Edwin , also known as Eadwine or Æduini, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from about 616 until his death. He converted to Christianity and was baptised in 627; after he fell at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, he was venerated as a saint.Edwin was the son...
in 636. Tubb's assertion that the barrow could be seen in the misty distance is plausible; Tim Allen (an Oxford-based archaeologist) suggests that on a clear day the Berkshire Downs
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
can be viewed from the hills and vice-versa.
The "smooth waters" of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
refers to the river running through Dorchester-on-Thames, where the "monastic pride" of the Augustinian Dorchester Abbey
Dorchester Abbey
Dorchester Abbey is a Church of England parish church in Dorchester on Thames, Oxfordshire, about southeast of Oxford. It was formerly a Norman abbey church and was built on the site of a Saxon cathedral.-History:...
is mentioned.
The disenterred coffins may refer to an 18th century discovery of two skeletons at the summit of Round Hill. The slopes of the two hills were used for grazing, where excavations have revealed remains of buildings (including a possible Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
).
Legacy
In 1965, BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
geographer Henry Osmaston took a rubbing
Rubbing
Rubbing is a reproduction of the texture of a surface with something to deposit marks, most often created with Charcoal, Wax, Crayons, Chalk, or various forms of Blotted and Rolled Ink...
of the poem before it became largely illegible.
In the 1980s, the health of the tree began to decline and it died in the early 1990s. The trunk remains, though its branches have been removed. The poem is now difficult to read; the few legible letters have been distorted with growth of the tree.
In 1994, a plaque and stone were placed nearby to commemorate 150 years since the carving. The plaque, which features a copy of Osmaston's 1965 tracing, is fixed to a large Sarsen
Sarsen
Sarsen stones are sandstone blocks found in quantity in the United Kingdom on Salisbury Plain, the Marlborough Downs, in Kent, and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset and Hampshire...
stone.