The Ironstone Depression and Winter’s Sustenance

In a deep depression caused by subsidence from the ironstone mining, a hawthorn tree is burdened with scarlet berries. Roseberry’s sandstone crag furnishes a striking backdrop. This tree will supply valuable sustenance for birds in the upcoming winter.

Folk tales are rife with accounts of solitary Hawthorn trees flourishing above pots of buried gold. But there are also many stories of folk meeting a dire fate if they meddle with or harm these trees or make use of their fallen wood. The key lesson was the avoidance of these trees, especially bringing their blossoms into one’s home, which was believed to bring very bad luck.

Why was this? Some speculate that the explanation resides in the surprisingly non-fragrant nature of hawthorn blossoms, emitting a distinctive odour to lure flies and other scavenging insects for pollination. This results from a chemical present in the flowers known as triethylamine, possessing a stale quality reminiscent of gangrene or the decay of deceased bodies. Not the best air freshener with which to greet the vicar when he comes to tea.