Charles Sainsbury-Plaice Photography

21/07/2026

https://countrysidegreetings.co.uk/blogs/news/the-stories-behind-britains-ancient-trees

Over the past five years, photographer Charles Sainsbury-Plaice has travelled Britain's countryside documenting some of our most remarkable ancient trees. From the legendary Major Oak and the beeches of Watership Down to the ancient woodlands of Pembrokeshire and Dartmoor, discover the stories, hist...

10/07/2026

I made this photograph in 2023 whilst working on The Queen's Green Canopy. It is not a photograph of the outside of one of the ancient yew trees at St Melangell's Church in Powys, but of its hidden interior.

At the time, I knew nothing of the story of St Melangell, the seventh century Irish princess who sought refuge in this secluded valley and became the patron saint of hares and sanctuary. It was only later, after discovering the legend, that I looked at this image with fresh eyes.

Curious to see what lay within, I peered into the hollow heart of the ancient yew. Looking through my camera, I was captivated by the flowing grain and sculpted forms created by time alone. Only later did I notice what, to me, is the unmistakable shape of a woman's torso emerging from the ancient wood. Nestled within the hollow is a small white stone, left by a modern day pagan, adding another quiet layer to this sacred place.

The image now speaks to me of femininity, protection and rebirth. The hollow interior feels almost womb like, echoing the legend of a woman who offered sanctuary and the extraordinary ability of the ancient yew to renew itself throughout its long life. I did not set out to make this connection. It revealed itself only after I had learnt the history of this remarkable place.

Perhaps that is one of the gifts of ancient trees. They invite us to pause, to look more closely and to discover meanings we were not expecting.

What do you see?

The King's Foundation The Woodland Trust The Field Magazine Countryside NFU

28/06/2026

As an environmental photographer, I often find that the most interesting stories begin with the plants we usually walk straight past.

This photograph of Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) was taken on the chalk downland at Tidgrove. It may not be the showiest wildflower, but it supports one of the most remarkable hidden food webs in our countryside.

Its flower spikes are home to the tiny Ribwort Plantain Weevil . The adults feed on the plant, while the larvae develop safely inside the flowering stems.

But that is only the beginning of the story.......

Tiny parasitic wasps search out the developing larvae. Spiders and ground beetles hunt the adult weevils. Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Whitethroats feed on the insects amongst the plants, and above them Sparrowhawks rely on those same birds.

Looking through a camera lens has taught me that every species has its own story. The more closely you look, the more you discover that even the most familiar wildflowers support an extraordinary network of life.

These hidden food webs are at the heart of what I call "bioculture". They remind us that biodiversity is not simply a list of species, but a living network of relationships between plants, insects, birds, landscapes and the people who care for them.

26/06/2026

Photography a timely meeting on one of the hottest days in UK history. We all need to play our part when it comes to matters of climate and the environment.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DaDXk5BDYpb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

18/06/2026

The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest in 2023 photographed by Charles Sainsbury-Plaice. Sadly announced on the news today that it has died after 1000 years

18/06/2026

The Major Oak photographed 2 years ago is now reportedly dead due to no leaves on it this year. I was please to have spent some time with this tree for The Queen's Green Canopy project. The King's Foundation The Field Magazine The Woodland Trust

16/06/2026

Standing in the churchyard of St John the Baptist, the Tisbury Yew is one of Wiltshire's oldest trees and one of the county's most remarkable living survivors.

Its true age remains a matter of debate, with estimates ranging from around 1,000 to 4,000 years, but whatever the number, this ancient yew was already old when much of the village around it was still taking shape.

The tree's vast hollow trunk became famous in the 19th century when visitors could enter its interior, and records tell of seventeen people once sharing breakfast inside. Later, in the mid-20th century, the hollow was filled with concrete on the advice of experts who believed it would strengthen the tree. Today, we know that hollowing is a natural part of an ancient yew's life cycle, yet despite this intervention, the Tisbury Yew continues to grow.

The churchyard is also the resting place of Rudyard Kipling's parents, John Lockwood and Alice Kipling. During his visits to Tisbury, the celebrated author would have walked beneath these branches. Given his love of the English landscape and the way history lingers in place, it is easy to imagine this remarkable tree making an impression.

As the morning sun filters through its canopy, the Tisbury Yew reminds us that some trees become inseparable from the places they grow. Its roots are intertwined with the history, memory and community of Tisbury itself.

For centuries it has stood at the heart of the village, shaping the character of the churchyard and the landscape around it. Long may it continue to do so.

The King's Foundation The Woodland Trust The Field Magazine Rudyard Kipling

18/05/2026

In Transylvania, sustainability is not a concept or a trend — it is simply a way of life.

Everything on this cheese board was grown, prepared, crafted, and consumed within 100 yards of the house where this photograph was taken. The cheese, walnuts, herbs, and flowers all come from a living landscape shaped by generations of semi-subsistence farming, seasonal rhythms, and deep connections between people and nature.

These biocultural landscapes are among the last in Europe where biodiversity, traditional agriculture, and community still exist in balance. Places where little is wasted, much is shared, and food still carries the story of the land it comes from.

As a photographer, dendrologist, and ecologist, documenting these landscapes has been both inspiring and deeply thought-provoking. They offer valuable lessons about resilience, self-sufficiency, and how we might reconnect culture, food, and ecology in the modern world.

abbatis The King's Foundation