brian g. crane & associates may 2012 - mr site73636.mrsite.com/kew avenue seminar.pdf · may...
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PO Box 305,
HERTFORD,
SG13 9EL
phone/fax: 01992 552199
Mobile: 07973 224617
email: [email protected]
website: www.bgcassociates.org.uk
Professional Tree
Inspection
MAY 2012
TREEWORKS ENVIRONMENTAL
PRACTICE
XVI SEMINAR AT ROYAL
BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW
PRESENTATION SYNOPSIS
AVENUES, ALLEES AND
BOULEVARDS
DEFINITIONS, CULTURE,
LAYOUTS, MANAGEMENT
brian g. crane & associates M Hort, P Dip Arb (RFS), OND Hort, FLS, F Arbor A, MIC For, MI Hort, MEWI
Chartered Arboriculturist
Registered Consultant of the Arboricultural Association
Registered Consultant of the Institute of Chartered Foresters
Dip Hort, FLS, F Arbor A, MIC For, MI Hort.
MAY 2010
© copyright brian g. crane & associates 2012 1
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS
Definitions, culture, layouts, management
This seminar addresses the historical, cultural and landscape implications of linear tree
features within the wider contexts of urban design, landscape and environmental
management. My submission will consider the definitions of avenues, boulevards and allees,
and their derivations, to examine avenue planting patterns, to take an overview of a number
of important or famous avenues with a brief look at their historical contexts, to briefly
examine management issues and to consider cultural implications.
It would be appropriate to start with a definition of each of the three kinds of linear planting
under consideration. Here, we must be aware that there is a significant difference in cultural
reference between the grand avenue plantings, largely made in rural settings during the 18th
century and the urban plantings which arose mainly in the 19th
century.
The term ‘avenue’ was probably first used in English in John Evelyn’s important early
arboricultural work ‘Sylva’. The Concise Oxford Dictionary gives two main definitions.
First ‘a broad road or street, often with trees at regular intervals along its sides’ and ‘a tree
lined approach to a country house’. The word was probably derived from the French ‘venir’
or the Italian ‘venire’, both meaning to come or to arrive.
Boulevard is derived from the Dutch ‘bolwerk’ – bulwark. This was a defensive structure
usually an earthwork. The adaptation of the word into French as ‘boloard’ appears to have
taken place in 1435 and the word has since been altered to ‘boulevard’. The mere jump of
this word from Dutch to French and its subsequent alteration in meaning reflects not only on
the widespread adoption of these landscape features, but also the political and social drivers
present in mainland Europe at that time. The word boulevard currently seems to be generally
applied to an avenue with a central strip for pedestrians aligned between two or more
carriageways. An example of this is Unter den Linden in Berlin.
Plate 1
The main avenue at the
Palace of Versailles. Such
plantings were a clear
manifestation of royal
power
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Allee is derived from the French word ‘aller’ (to go) and is widely used as an alternative to
‘avenue’ in Europe, an example of this being its use in Sweden and Germany. The word is
often associated with pedestrian avenues. It may be also applied to linear features which act
as enclosures, such as the outdoor ‘rooms’ and walkways at the Palace of Versailles.
In defining what makes a linear grouping of trees an avenue, boulevard or allee, I would
contend that the overriding characteristic is visual uniformity. A disparate planting of species
which are mixed in heights and shapes (such as many of the suburban plantings made in
Britain following the Second World War) does not, in my view, constitute an avenue,
boulevard or allee. These, by the strength of their linear uniformity constitute strong and
distinctive landscape elements.
In considering linear plantings of trees, we may separate them as indicated above into:-
those associated with particular grand properties, mainly in rural areas and
those within urban areas.
Plantings associated with stately homes, palaces and castles
These tend to have relevance only in the context in which they were planted. Many were
sited so as to give views of the house from other parts of the landowner’s property or to lead
the eye to a particular feature, such as a statue or folly. They may be seen as expressing both
the temporal power and the power over nature of the landowner. The owners of grand
properties have shown a historical tendency to think forward in providing for future (related)
owners. Avenues in these settings are generally planted in straight lines. Straight lines do
not occur naturally in nature and the planting of large trees in straight lines, at regular
intervals, is a clear manifestation of a desire to express the land owners’ exertion of power.
This can possibly be seen most clearly in the formal avenues of the Palace of Versailles,
particularly from the rear of the house where the main avenue disappears into the middle
distance expressing the King’s dominance over all he could see. A further example of this
may be seen in the ‘goosefoot’ arrangement of avenues originally planted at Hampton Court.
This metaphorically projected the King’s power outwards from the seat of his power.
Plate 2
Plantings associated with
country houses were
commonly made during
the 18th
Century in
Britain. This example at
Wollaton Hall in
Nottingham shows clear
evidence of replanting at
different periods (note
trunk girths), however
the overall impression is
one of uniformity and
continuity – somewhat
marred visually by a
single, taller, tree.
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Avenues were planted around grand houses during the 18th
century in Britain, largely as a
result of the influence of the King, William of Orange, a former Low Countries land owner.
Important examples may be seen at Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire (3 miles – 4.8
kilometres - long) and Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire (3.5 miles – 5.6 kilometres - long).
The Low Countries are generally flat and the use of avenues as a landscape future lent itself
to this kind of topography, however in Britain, land form is generally more rolling and the
effects of long straight lines through such countryside was sometimes lost. An interesting
example of the attempts to achieve long views into a property may be seen at Castle Ashby
where a small hill was partly levelled by hand in order to afford views along the avenue.
Many avenues suffered from the attentions of proponents of the English Landscape School,
which attempted a more natural interpretation of landscape and garden design. Several
important avenues were destroyed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and his followers.
Examples of such destruction may be seen at both the two sites mentioned.
The social and historical values inherent in these ‘country house’ avenues may, arguably, be
seen as restricted to the owners and occasional visitors. Nowadays, the properties which
support them may be open for public viewing, however, their relevance to the everyday life
of most citizens, both in the past and the present is questionable.
Linear plantings in urban areas
The presence of these plantings in areas where ordinary people lived and worked made them
enormously relevant. Public plantings of this type largely originated in the mid-19th
century,
coincidentally and for differing reasons, in a number of European countries at the same time.
In Britain, this occurred following the passing of a number of Acts of Parliament, prompted
by philanthropic motives, concerned with public health. These allowed for Local Authorities
to plant trees alongside roads for which they had the responsibility of maintenance.
Fortunately, in many areas, this was seen as a way of upgrading the appalling urban
conditions consequent on the rapid, largely unplanned, expansion of towns and cities during
the Industrial Revolution. In many areas, the roadside trees planted during this period are
still in existence. It is interesting that, at the same time, in Barcelona, the pioneering town
planner Ildefons Cerda planted straight urban thoroughfares with large trees within the
Eixample area which was developed following the removal of the old defensive walls of the
city.
Plate 3
The design proposal
for the construction of
the ‘Eixample’ in
Barcelona. The ‘grid’
street pattern is visible.
The Old City is
indicated by the dark
area. The well-known
avenue, Las Ramblas
is indicated by a red
arrow.
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In Paris, Baron Haussmann was levelling the mediaeval city and building wide boulevards,
including probably the most famous avenue in the world – the Champs Elysee - which runs
on to the Avenue Grande Armee, and now extends into the La Defence business area to give a
boulevard 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometres) in length. These wide Parisian thoroughfares, whilst
aesthetically pleasing, and lined with trees, had another more practical and perhaps less
attractive use. They were wide enough to rush troops and artillery from
their barracks to areas of unrest quickly and they were also wide enough to make the erection
of barricades difficult. It seems that the French (who take their politics seriously) had
memories of The Revolution at this time and Napoleon III had no desire to follow Louis XIV
to the guillotine. The Champs Elysee and Avenue Grande Armee run through areas of
parkland as well as residential and business areas, however the high, established tree
population allows for a uniformity of landscape structure, despite differences in species, ages
and management - which varies from formal pleaching within the café areas of La Defence,
to pruning the inner (road) lines of trees with laser-guided machinery.
Plate 4
The Champs Elysee,
Paris. One of the
most important
avenues in the world
and a source of great
national pride. The
avenue passes through
a variety of settings
along its length whilst
maintaining its strong
linear definition.
Plate 5
An illustration from 1691 of
the ‘Linden Allee’ later to
become ‘Unter den Linden’,
Berlin – an avenue which
traced the course of 20th
Century history from the
aftermath of World War I,
through the Weimar, Nazi
and Cold War eras to its
present position at the heart
of the capital of a unified
Germany.
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The wide boulevards of the Continent became social centres. It was considered fashionable
to ‘take the air’ beneath the trees and a café society developed in many areas. One of the
most famous (possibly notorious) of these was Unter den Linden in Berlin. At first glance,
this would appear to fall into the urban planning grouping; however the initial planting was
made in 1647 along a path running to the Elector’s hunting lodge. The avenue ends at the
Brandenburg Gate, where it meets the Strasse 16 June. The latter was merely a cutting
through the trees of the Tiergarten, but recent formal avenue plantings are now establishing
adjacent to the roadside. Unter den Linden’s heyday came during the Weimar Republican
period, when it was an outdoor meeting place in what, at the time, was considered one of the
most decadent cities in Europe. One of the most portentous historical events to take place in
any avenue occurred here. Adolf Hitler was appointed as Reichskancellor of Germany on 30
January 1933 and a mass rally was held beneath the Brandenburg Gate. Photographs of the
period show that established trees were removed and one source states that Hitler’s aide
Goering ordered this to fit more people into the space; however another source states that
trees were removed in 1934 to allow the works for the S-Bahn railway to go ahead. The
avenue was destroyed during the fall of Berlin and replanted by the East German Government
in the 1950s. They appear to have used Tilia tomentosa – a native of the Balkans, which of
course would have been within the Soviet sphere of influence. It is likely that the original
plantings would have been of European lime (Tilia x europaea) – this part of north Germany
has an affinity with this hybrid, one variety (T. e. ‘Moltke’) being named after a famous
Prussian general.
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS
13brian g. crane 2010
16 metre wide strip between carriageways
Central area was re-planted after World War II by the East German Government. Trees are silver-leafed form of lime, possibly Tilia tomentosa, planted opposite at 8.5 metres centres, heights 14 to 15 metres, branches forming at 2.5 to 3 metres, dbhs 15 to 55 cm. Cavities caused by poor quality pruning noted on trunks of older trees. Light dead wood present.
3 lane road either side of central space
Trees in outer lines are mostly T. x europaea, with some T. tomentosa. Many trees are younger than those in the central plantings. Some Tilia ‘Greenspire’.
Unter den Linden, Berlin,
Cold War period
Plate
7
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Great Britain was slow to adopt the idea of outdoor leisure, partly due to the weather and
partly to local planning rules and bye-laws. The unplanned development of many British
town centres and the chronic restrictions on land availability meant that the construction of
the archetypical boulevard with its central strip was unusual and pavements in many parts of
Britain were generally not suited for open-air dining or recreation and tree-lined roads were
simply that. The situation has changed in recent years, controls having been relaxed in many
areas. This coupled with the pedestrianisation of some town centres has led to an
appreciation of the tree as an important element of the street scene. It is not easy to say that
this has taken place in association with linear plantings, although this is true in some
instances. However, in more recent years, linear plantings, often designed to accent built
forms have become more popular. Where these can be adopted to outdoor leisure use, café
proprietors have been quick to do this, although we have a long way to go before we can rival
the outdoor chess ‘rooms’ of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. There are some management
problems in London, where lengthy urban avenues may pass through several Boroughs,
which may implement different management regimes, occasionally leading to the
incongruous sight of trees being pollarded on one side of a road and maintained with high
crowns on the other.
The term ‘allee’ is less easy to define. My own view is that it applies both to linear tree
features along roads, and to such features in areas where only pedestrian traffic is permitted.
Allees are frequently maintained by close clipping and the outdoor rooms of Versailles or the
walkways around the Hofburg and Belvedere Palaces in Vienna are examples of clipped or
pleached allees. The word does have wider usage in the European context. For example,
tree plantings along Swedish roads are called allees – one interesting practical use here is that
they define routes in time of heavy snow.
Avenues and boulevards within urban areas affect the wider environment both physical and
spiritual in terms of landscape continuity, carbon sequestration and storage, ground water
control and micro-climate effect. Their management is fraught with the problems common to
all urban trees, competition for space, both above and below the ground, the expenses of
management, the conflict between man and any aspect of the natural world. The more
developed a city, the more intense the pressures on trees within its boundaries, the more
essential these are resolved for the physical and mental health of the inhabitants.
Plate 7
Unter den Linden – present
day. A slow return is being
made to the café society of
the inter War period.
© copyright brian g. crane & associates 2012 7
Planting patterns
A number of planting patterns and variations on these may be identified. Frequently, the
pattern adopted depends on the amount of land available. Thus we may see the quincunx
pattern, effectively three rows either side of a central ride or drive, is land extensive and
heavy in demand of planting material. The simplest avenue planting is the single row either
side of a drive or road. This may be opposed or alternate. The semi-quincunx pattern falls
between the two ‘stools’. The original planting pattern will become important when
regeneration of a neglected or moribund avenue is considered, particularly as there will be
problems posed by inter-row shading.
These planting patterns, the more land-extensive of which are mainly seen in Britain in the
‘country house’ context have been adopted into urban plantings on the Continent.
Plate 8 – The above drawings have been taken from Crane, B.G. (2001) An Evaluation of the Management
Options Available for the Regeneration of Neglected Avenues. Arboricultural J. 24, 1 pp. 23-57.
It would be wrong however, to define all linear plantings within the definitions imposed by
tradition or history. Very effective use of the form is being made by landscape and urban
designers in non-traditional settings – their relevance in our context being their heavy
reliance on visual uniformity to achieve their effect.
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The need for management
Management of any feature which relies heavily on its uniformity for effect becomes
problematic as the feature begins to fail. Reasons for failure may include people pressure,
senescence or damage affecting long term safety and viability. Very serious consideration
should be given to the formulating of any plan for future management. Before any action is
taken a detailed assessment of the avenue as a resource should be undertaken. Frequently
when hard data is presented, particularly in visual format, management objectives may
become clearer.
Plate 9
The strong lines of this modern design rely
heavily on the fastigiate forms of the trees,
coupled with the defined linear nature of
the planting and hard landscape.
Plate 10
Colour coding was
used to identify the
relative condition of
trees within this
avenue which runs
either side of a busy
North London road.
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Once sufficient data has been collected, alternative management options must be considered.
Sadly, many tree managers forget that there are ALWAYS two management options. The
first is to DO NOTHING! It may not be our generation’s turn to carry out major works.
There are then two further options should work be necessary: manage existing trees to
prolong their safe, useful life expectancies or replant – either completely or partially.
Plate 11
An initial
assessment using
infra-red
photography was
carried out to
establish the
general condition
of horse chestnuts
(Aesculus
hippocastanum) in
this north London
avenue. Further
detailed inspection
was carried out
with a view to
informing a
management
strategy.
Plate 12
People pressure in the popular tourist destination
of Barcelona has led to deterioration in
environmental conditions for London planes
(Platanus x acerifolia).
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Conclusion
We have considered the differing types of linear plantings within the ‘rural’ and urban
contexts and the alternative social implications of their creation. We have discussed the
history, in brief detail of some avenues and examined, again briefly, the needs for
management and more importantly, the need to accurately define any such need. We may
useful close by posing the questions: What are the fundamental differences in the benefits
conferred by urban and ‘country house’ avenues. How should these benefits be developed
and exploited and how should the differences inform future management.
Brian Crane May 2010.
Plate 13
The ‘Dark Hedges’, Co. Antrim,
Northern Ireland. The
atmosphere of this senescing
beech (Fagus sylvatica) avenue
is provided by the twisting,
almost goblin, windcut shapes of
the crowns. Any future
management suggestions must
address maintaining the
unworldly ambience the trees
present.
Plate 14
An avenue of camphor trees
(Cinnamonum camphora) in
Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens,
Cape Town, South Africa. The
avenue is reputed to have been
planted by Cecil Rhodes.