HYLAND
either side are bold sweeping shrubberies…It is impossible
to mention every valuable tree at Syon"
At the Syon of today, careful aesthetic and ecological
preservation continues admirably to vie with technical,
agricultural and ecological innovation.
Continuity keeps pace with graceful
change. The Duke of Northumberland
notes, for example, that since the 15
th
century there has been some form of
lawn or mown grass in the historic
approach to Syon House, "the lawn
effectively forming a historical artifact
older than the house." The Duke also
notes 'Capability' Brown's practice
of preserving features from older
landscapes, so that there remain
trees which date from a time when
the area was fields and farmland:
The older trees at Syon are valued
for the central place they play in the
parkland ecosystem, and the habitats they provide, as well
as for their antiquity. Syon has a good population of bats,
and it is likely that this is in part due to the roosts available
in the decay pockets and broken branches of ancient trees.
As in many ecologically important gardens throughout Britain,
the gardens and parkland at Syon are host to a variety of
species—insects, birds and mammals—providing them
with food, shelter and natural habitat. The nearness of the
