A 100 year old oak tree lost a branch in St Clements Churchyard in the stormy weather over the weekend. Storm Brian caused a branch of the holly oak in St Clements churchyard to split from the trunk. The branch has damaged some of the stones of military graves underneath the fall.

Known as ‘holm’ or ‘holly’, this oak is instantly recognisable by the leathery, glossy leaves which are evergreen. It sheds some leaves throughout the year rather than all in the autumn. It is also known as simply the evergreen oak.

As an evergreen, in wet windy conditions, the leaves, through weight of water and wind, put enormous pressure and load onto branches and they can it split from the trunk.

Brian Parker, who is an archivist for the graves at St Clements and lives nearby said: “The tree is over a 100 years old. It’s very tall and trees of that age do shed branches.

“Although this one has shed branches before, we’ve not had something quite so spectacular. It’s over mature and is entering the last phase of its life. It is liable to be blown down.

“There are a number of graves underneath of military significance. Indeed just a few weeks ago, we had a memorial with a team from the Brittannia Royal Naval College attending one of those graves. I cannot see, until the branch is cleared, what, if any, damage has occurred.”