In the middle of the 17th Century, Oliver Crowell attacked the walls of Pembroke with cannon and gunpowder and caused an enormous amount of damage. Now, in the early part of the 21st Century, the walls are again under threat. This time by a more insidious enemy, unmanaged growth of ivy.

It is true that some of the ivy is helping preserve the walls by holding them together until they can be properly restored. However, in too many places, the ancient walls are being put at risk of further damage by some of the ivy being allowed to develop into small trees, the weight of which, combined with wind resistance, is likely to cause as much damage as the Second Civil War.

Fortunately, this month, Clr. Gareth Jones volunteered to don his climbing gear as he started the huge job of managing the ivy threatening the walls of Pembroke community garden, St. Oswald’s, near Foundry House.

Gareth, a director of the Town Walls Trust and chairman of 21C, along with volunteers from Pembroke community garden, U3A garden group south and Pembroke family gardening, removed an estimated 500 kilos of the threat; one of which was a young ivy tree with a stem of about four inches, 10 cms, in diameter and weighing at least 60 kilos.

If any owners of Pembroke’s many ancient walls need support in managing ivy, initial enquiries can be made through 21C at Foundry House, tel. 01646 680090  or by emailing [email protected].

John Roberts, Pembroke Family Gardening

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