The Capon
tree
|
Location On the road north to Jedburgh (the A68) look out for a sign on the left: the Capon Tree. There is a convenient lay-by nearby. |
A few patches of the
ancient Jed Forest can still be seen in the neighbourhood of the Kerr
stronghold of Ferniehirst, just south of Jedburgh. Among the last few
remaining royal oaks is the Capon Tree, a massive old veteran, standing
alone at Priorhaugh, opposite Ferniehirst Castle. Its gnarled, twisted
branches, spreading afar, is a sight to behold. With a trunk of
twenty-one feet in circumference, estimated to being a thousand years
old, it still beaks forth into life with every spring. What events must have
occurred in its vicinity! An American
businessman who lived nearby as a boy, retained throughout his life a
vision of this mighty tree, and he directed, that when he died, his
ashes should be buried beneath its branches. And this was done. Also in the vicinity, but not as accessible, is the King of the Woods, another mighty Royal oak, with a girth of 17 feet and a height of 95 feet! |