The first Bramley's Seedling tree grew from pips planted by Mary Ann Brailsford-Trump when she was a young girl in her garden in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK in 1809. The tree in the garden was later included in the purchase of the cottage by a local butcher, Matthew Bramley, in 1846. In 1856, a local nurseryman, Henry Merryweather, asked if he could take cuttings from the tree and start to sell the apples. Bramley agreed but insisted that the apples should bear his name.
The artist studied four particular trees at Yorkshire Sculpture Park - The Oak, Horse Chestnut, Beech and the Cedar of Lebanon. The trees were photographed and filmed in different seasons. Data was gathered in connection to each tree. Sound recordings of the trees moving and conversations with people about the trees were collected. The precious tree fruit was gathered and cast in bronze preserving memories of the fruitful past. The trees were visited and written about regularly through the seasons.
This Austrian Pine tree was planted in 1909 by the Suffragette Rose Lamartine Yates. Between April 1909 and July 1911, at least 47 trees were planted in the grounds of Eagle House, near Bath, to commemorate individual suffragettes and suffragists. Holly trees were planted for those involved in the movement in general, whilst a different species of conifer was planted for each of those women who had been imprisoned. All the trees were destroyed in the late 1960s to make way for a housing estate, but this one solitary pine tree, survives to this day in retired midwife, Eileen Paddock's garden.
This is a veteran oak situated near the main entrance to Yorkshire Sculpture Park as you walk down towards the deer shelter. Sharon Durdant-Hollamby who is VC of the Institute of Chartered Foresters came to scan the roots of this tree. The root scanning data revealed that the roots extend in a 22 meter radius around the tree.
An interactive sculpture was created in relation to the four trees. The Frequency of Trees comprises a series of 12 tuning forks tuned to the frequency of different trees within YSP: Oak, Horse Chestnut, Beech and the Cedar of Lebanon in the Formal Garden. The frequency of sound is measured by counting the number of occurrences of an event per unit of time. By measuring the number of times a branch or leaf on a tree moved a certain distance within a set time frame, Locke was able to equate tree movements with Hertz readings, the unit used to measure sound.
This is a book published by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and has an introduction written by John Newling. It follows the seasons at the park and four of the trees which the artist tracked and gathered data from in order to make The Frequency of Trees. It is a book about the seasons, nature, data, people, their stories and creating a public interactive sculpture.
The National Trust kindly give the artist access to the famous Newton's apple tree. Her Newton’s Apple series consist of Bronze and Aluminium casts of apples harvested from the ‘gravity tree’ at Woolsthorpe Manor, Isaac Newton’s family home. For at least 240 years the tree been shown to visitors as Newton's apple tree, the tree from which an apple fell and caused him to ask the question: 'Why do apples always fall straight down to the ground?'
In some cultures, bells are traditionally used to ring out warnings and tell us of danger. The artist began working with bells alongside her art projects where she uses tuning forks in connection to trees and movement.The first bell has now been cast, tuned to the frequency of The Original Bramley Apple Tree in Southwell. The bell resonates at 500HZ when the temperature is 21 degrees, when the temperature changes so too does the resonance of the bell. Caroline intends to cast more Significant Tree bells as she continues to find different approaches for collecting tree data.
'The Tree Charter Bell' is used to create ceremonies around tree planting activities over the coming years. Caroline has her own Tree Charter Branch and is seeking out opportunities in order to extend the project. The first tree planting event will take place as part of the Woodland Trust’s Tree Charter Festival on Saturday 28th November 2020. Nottingham City Council will be signing the Tree Charter as part of a ceremonial event in the centre of the city. The Charter Tree Bell will be rung each time one of the Woodland Trust’s 108 Saplings are planted in 6 locations in the city.
https://vimeo.com/531745053As part of the Woodland Trust's Tree Charter Day Festival the artist planted a new Cherry Tree in Christchurch Gardens in Nottingham City to replace the one blown down in a storm earlier in 2020. The Tree Charter Cryer was part of this ceremony during lockdown. Locke worked in collaboration with the artist Bruce Asbestos to develop the role of The Tree Charter Crier. Drawing from a rich history of painting, sculpture, popular culture, folklore and fairy tales, Bruce mixes everyday objects with high art, fashion, and aspects of popular culture. Caroline wrote Tree Charter 'cries' based on the 10 principals of The Woodland Trust's Tree Charter and Bruce designed the costume based on traditional Town Crier attire. On Tree Charter Day Bruce performed the Tree Cries whilst ringing Locke's Significant Tree bell tuned to the frequency of the Southwell Bramley Apple. We rang the Tree Charter Bell in honour of the new Tree.
On November 28th 2020 the Tree Charter Bell was used in ceremonies to plant 108 trees as part of the Woodland Trust's bid to build a mass movement of people for woods and trees. Caroline has her own Woodland Trust Tree Charter Branch call Significant Trees. The Bell will be part of Branch activities for years to come. See the film in the link
https://vimeo.com/531745053The Tree Charter Bell is part of Caroline Locke's socially engaged practice where she invites members of community's to plant a tree and ring the bell. In 2020 Tree Charter Day was during lockdown so we ran the project with a team of two - the artist and Council Tree Officer Alex Begg. 108 tree were planted. Conversations about trees and the climate emergency were triggered with passers by. The bell was rung each time a tree was planted.
https://vimeo.com/531745053Caroline Locke uses sound as part of her art practice. Her interactive public sculpture, The Frequency of Trees comprises a series of 12 tuning forks tuned to the frequency of different trees within Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The frequency of sound is measured by counting the number of occurrences of an event per unit of time. By measuring the number of times, a branch or leaf on a tree moved a certain distance within a set time frame, Locke was able to equate tree movements with Hertz readings, the unit used to measure sound. More recently the artist has replaced the tuning forks with bells which are tuned to the frequency of trees. She has been working closely with John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough to create bells in connection to her interactive sculptures.
108 new trees were planted in small green spaces in Radford in Nottingham City Centre. The Tree Charter Bell was part of the planting ceremonies. Each time a tree was planted we rang the bell.
https://vimeo.com/531745053The Charter for Trees, Woods and People sets out the principles for a society in which people and trees can stand stronger together. The Tree Charter was launched by the Woodland Trust in 2017. The Tree Charter is rooted in more than 60,000 ‘tree stories’ gathered from people of all backgrounds across the UK. Caroline makes work in relation to tree stories and the Tree Charter. Tree Charter Key Principals are: • Sustain landscapes rich in wildlife • Plant for the future • Celebrate the power of trees to inspire • Grow forests of opportunity and innovation • Protect irreplaceable trees and woods • Plan greener local landscapes • Recover health, hope and wellbeing with the help of trees • Make trees accessible to all • Combat the threats to our habitats • Strengthen our landscapes with trees
In the Autumn of 2020 Locke was able to announce Nottingham City Council’s agreement with her to sign a pledge to The Woodland Trusts Tree Charter, which outlines 10 principals in connection with the future sustainability of the planet. As part of The Tree Charter Bell Ceremony II on December 5th 2020, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Councillor David Trimble, signed a pledge to the Woodland Trust's Tree Charter resulting in changes in the council’s approach to trees in Nottingham. David was invited to ring the ceremonial bell to mark the important signing of the pledge at Nottingham Forest Recreation Ground and a new memorial oak tree was planted .
At The University of Derby we celebrated by ringing the Tree Charter Bell as part of a ceremony with the Tree Charter Bell, students and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kathryn Mitchell in January 2022. Thirty new Oak and Rowan trees were planted.
National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration and ran from Saturday 27th November to Sunday 5th December 2021. Across the country, people planted thousands of trees to mark the start of the winter tree planting season. On December 1st 2021, in connection with National Tree week, the Tree Charter Bell travelled to The University of Derby. Together with Fine Art and Microbiology Students, Caroline Planted 105 Woodland Trust tree saplings in green spaces at the Kedlestone Road Campus. 15 Silver Birch, Wild Cherry, Hawthorne, Hazel, Dogwood and Rowan saplings were planted and the students rang the Tree Charter bell for each new tree.
In March 2023 The Tree Charter Bell travelled to Somerset where Caroline returned to her old primary school 40 years on. 106 trees were planted in and around the school field as part of the Woodland Trust’s pledge to plant 50 million trees by 2025 to help tackle climate change. Caroline spent the whole day talking about trees and the environment with each class and every child in the school was involved in the planting ceremonies. The Children rang the bell each time a new tree was planted and each pupil received a Tree Charter Bell certificate to congratulate them on their contribution to helping to combat climate change.
Caroline and The Tree Charter Bell are part of "The When The Future Comes Collective". On Saturday 1st April 2023 as part of an Eco/Art Residency at Furtherfield Commons. We hosted our first Bell Weather Day in Finsbury Park, London. The residency included art, music, ecology, tree planting, bell ringing and talks, with music from Finsbury Park Drumming School. Caroline planted a Rowan tree with members of the community and the tree was honoured, blessed and celebrated by ringing the bell. An informal conversation about art, music, ecology and the future followed and in the evening we hosted a ‘Future Machine Weather Jam’ led by the Future Machine, The Rainmakers and the When the Future Comes Collective, including special guests and The Tree Charter Bell.
When The Future Comes Collective
