Ty Canol, possibly one of the oldest pieces of woodland in all of Wales. Walking through the oak, ash and downy birch wood, home to more than 400 species of lichen, is like travelling back to an ancient time. As you walk through Ty Canol and as you stand among these trees, it’s easy to imagine how the druids drew their inspiration from nature.
It is one of the richest sites for lichens anywhere in Britain and Ireland – these adorn the boulders and trees and are the main reason for the woodland’s status as a National Nature Reserve.
The woodland is a mixture of ancient oak woodland and wood pasture which has been grazed by cattle, sheep and ponies for many centuries.
After the glaciers made their final retreat from Wales around 11,500 years ago, it took time to transform the barren landscape into a lush woodland. But gradually Arctic plants were joined by shrubs, then progressively birch, Scots pine, oak, alder and hazel trees colonised. By around 6,000 years ago, an extensive deciduous woodland may have covered even the uplands of Wales. 1,000 years later the woodlands started to diminish in size and number thanks to natural and human influences. With trees over 800 years old, Tycanol is one of the few remaining ancient woodlands in Wales. The site is important not only for its ancient oaks, but also for the many rocky outcrops. Both trees and rocks are covered with mosses and nearly 400 species of lichen, many of which are rare.
Biofluorescence, seen under UV light under the dark sky, is a feature that has led the wood to be described as "...one of the most magical and special woodlands in the UK.
Throughout the major cultures of Europe people have held the oak tree in high esteem. To the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Slavs and Teutonic tribes the oak was foremost amongst venerated trees. In each case associated with the supreme god in their pantheon, oak being sacred to Zeus, Jupiter, Dagda, Perun and Thor, respectively. Each of these gods also had dominion over rain, thunder and lightning. It is no coincidence that oak trees are more prone to lightning strikes than many other trees. This is because of the tree’s high water content and the fact that they are frequently the tallest living things in the landscape.
The Druids frequently worshipped and practised their rites in oak groves. The word Druid may derive from a Celtic word meaning “knower of the oak tree”. The Gaelic word for oak is darach and remains in place names such as Glac Daraich (oak hollow/small valley) in Glen Affric.
Mistletoe, probably the Druids’ most potent and magical plant, frequently grew on oak trees. Its presence was believed to indicate the hand of God having placed it there in a lightning strike.
Ancient kings presented themselves as the personifications of these gods. They took on the responsibility not only for success in battle but also the fertility of the land, which relied on rainfall. They wore crowns of oak leaves, as a symbol of the god they represented as kings on Earth. Similarly, successful Roman commanders were presented with crowns of oak leaves during their victory parades. Oak leaves have continued as decorative icons of military prowess to the present day. Oak leaves’ connection with rainfall also survived in more recent folklore.
The spiritual appreciation of oak did not cease with the advent of Christianity. However, early Christian churches supplanted many oak groves. St. Columba was said to have had a fondness and respect for oak trees and to have been reluctant to fell them. Even so, his early chapel on Iona was constructed of oak from the nearby Mull oakwoods. St. Brendan was divinely inspired to use oak boards instead of traditional hides to cover his coracle. Legend says this small vessel may have carried him to the New World some thousand years before Columbus.
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