Tree of Life - Rabbit Gate

New Year - Rebirth and healing

The ash tree was the inspiration for this gate known affectionately as the rabbit gate. There are 5 rabbits on the base of the gate trying to get in to the walled garden! It's official title is the 'Tree of Life' gate representing the rebirth of the walled garden when it opened in the early 1980s. There are lots of myths and folklore associated with ash trees. Even in our digital age most people have heard this old piece of weather-lore “Ash before the oak, we shall have a soak; oak before the ash, we shall have a splash.” In ancient Britain, the ash had a reputation for being a magical tree and in Norse mythology, Yggdrasil was an enormous ash tree known as the tree of the world and the tree of rebirth and healing.