Ancient trees under which King Henry VIII courted his third queen, Jane Seymour, have been saved by conservationists

At more than 1,000 years old, Savernake is one of Britain's oldest forests and famous for the great size and age of its vast number of trees.

Nearly 5,000 trees in Savernake Forest in Wiltshire have been mapped and surveyed by the Forestry Commission.

They have now been added to a national tree database to ensure they are protected for future generations.

The Forestry Commission is the latest organisation to join the Woodland Trust in its Ancient Tree Hunt, which aims to identify 100,000 of Britain's ancient trees by 2011.

"A handful of Savernake's trees are well over a thousand years old and have been here longer than some of Britain's oldest buildings," said Ben Lennon, planning and environment manager from the Forestry Commission.

"They are an important part of our cultural heritage and should be looked after in the same way we preserve ancient monuments.

"But until recently people have tended to think of trees as simply nice to look at rather than as something important to be conserved.

"Now we have located all the ancient trees in Savernake we have a much better chance of protecting them."

At more than 1,000 years old, Savernake is one of Britain's oldest forests and famous for the great size and age of its vast number of trees.

Since it was put into the care of one of the victorious knights who fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, it has passed down from father to son in an unbroken line for 31 generations.

The current hereditary warden is the Earl of Cardigan.

Practice 1. Look through the text to find out who this text is intended for:

a) general reader;

b) students in forestry;

c) professional foresters.

Practice 2. Concentrate on discovering the author’s main idea. Select the statement which best expresses the author’s main idea.

1. The Forestry Comission deals with plantations and natural forests in England.

2. The Woodland Trust doesn’t cover all forests in England.

3. The Forestry Comission joints the Woodland Trust to save ancient trees in England

Practice 3. Re-arrange the sentences in a logical order and write a summary of the article:

1."They are an important part of our cultural heritage and should be looked after in the same way we preserve ancient monuments”

2.Savernake is one of Britain's oldest forests

3. The current hereditary warden is the Earl of Cardigan

4. The Forestry Commission is the latest organisation to join the Woodland Trust

in its Ancient Tree Hunt

5. Savernake is more than 1,000 years old.

6. Nearly 5,000 trees in Savernake Forest in Wiltshire have been mapped

and surveyed by the Forestry Commission.