Nile Clumps
Encyclopedia
The Nile Clumps are a series of tree clumps near Amesbury
on Salisbury Plain
in Wiltshire
, England
, purportedly planted to commemorate the Battle of the Nile
.
, in Aboukir Bay, in the Battle of the Nile. The French fleet consisted of thirteen ships of the line and four frigate
s. Nelson had fourteen ships of the line. All but four of the French ships were destroyed or captured. No British ships were lost.
After Nelsons death at the Battle of Trafalgar
, it is believed that Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry
, a friend of Nelson's mistress, Emma Hamilton, planted clumps of beech
trees on his estate near Amesbury to commemorate him. Each clump represented the location of a British or French ship at a particular point in the battle.
There may have been as many as twenty six clumps originally, spread out over three quarters of a mile, of which some seventeen remain.
and hawthorn. Amongst the clumps that have been replanted are those for Swiftsure
, Defence
, L'Orient
and Bellerophon
.
The evidence that the clumps were planted to commemorate the battle is based on local lore and a similarity between the layout of the woods and the position of ships shown in Robert Dodd’s
map of the battle. The UK National Maritime Museum
has also suggested that the link between the Battle of the Nile
and the clumps is “quite likely”.
Most of the surviving clumps stand on the north side of the A303 to the west of Amesbury and inside the Stonehenge World Heritage Site
, although several used to stand south and along the course of the road. Several of the remaining clumps stand on land owned by the National Trust's
Stonehenge Landscape property.
On the 13th November 2003 the London Daily Mail reported that on the former Swarland Estate, near Alnwick
[in North East England], once owned by Nelson's friend and agent Alexander Davison
, a line of trees, viewed from above, takes on the shape of the coastline of the Nile delta. Other trees are in the positions of the British and French ships. Aerial photographs suggest that the trees may be at 55°19′10.72"N 1°44′20.25"W. Davison also erected an obelisk
at Swarland. A plaque at the obelisk mentions the woods and states that they are to the west of the monument.
The Nile Clumps are sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Trafalgar Clumps. There is a separate Trafalgar Woods project to plant a total of 250,000 trees in a series of woods across the UK to commemorate the 2005 bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar
. There will be a total of 33 clumps, each representing a ship which took part in the battle. The largest will be Victory Wood in Kent with 100,000 trees.
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
on Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, purportedly planted to commemorate the Battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
.
Background
Between the 1st and 3rd of August 1798 a British fleet, under Admiral Horatio Nelson, defeated a French fleet, under François-Paul Brueys d'AigalliersFrançois-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers
Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers, Comte de Brueys was the French commander in the Battle of the Nile, in which the French Revolutionary Navy was defeated by Royal Navy forces under Admiral Horatio Nelson. The British victory helped to ensure their naval supremacy throughout the...
, in Aboukir Bay, in the Battle of the Nile. The French fleet consisted of thirteen ships of the line and four frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s. Nelson had fourteen ships of the line. All but four of the French ships were destroyed or captured. No British ships were lost.
After Nelsons death at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
, it is believed that Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry, KT was a Scottish peer.Douglas was the first son and heir of Sir William Douglas, Bt, and his wife, Grace, née Johnstone. He inherited his father's baronetcy in 1783...
, a friend of Nelson's mistress, Emma Hamilton, planted clumps of beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees on his estate near Amesbury to commemorate him. Each clump represented the location of a British or French ship at a particular point in the battle.
There may have been as many as twenty six clumps originally, spread out over three quarters of a mile, of which some seventeen remain.
The Nile Clumps today
Seventeen clumps remain today and are now under preservation orders. However, as beech has a natural life of some 200 years many are dying off. Many clumps are being replanted by local volunteers, each with about 200 mixed trees including beech, mapleMaple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
and hawthorn. Amongst the clumps that have been replanted are those for Swiftsure
HMS Swiftsure (1787)
HMS Swiftsure was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She spent most of her career serving with the British, except for a brief period when she was captured by the French during the Napoleonic Wars...
, Defence
HMS Defence (1763)
HMS Defence was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 31 March 1763 at Plymouth Dockyard. She was one of the most famous ships of the period, taking part in several of the most important naval battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars...
, L'Orient
French ship Orient (1791)
The Dauphin-Royal was an Océan class 118-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the French Revolution, she was renamed Sans-Culotte in September 1792, and eventually Orient in May 1795....
and Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon (1786)
The first HMS Bellerophon of the Royal Navy was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched on 6 October 1786 at Frindsbury on the River Medway, near Chatham. She was built at the shipyard of Edward Greaves to the specifications of the Arrogant, designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1758, the lead ship...
.
Robert Dodd (artist)
Robert Dodd was a British marine painter and aquatint engraver. He is known for his works on the French Revolutionary Wars.-Life and family:...
map of the battle. The UK National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
has also suggested that the link between the Battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
and the clumps is “quite likely”.
Most of the surviving clumps stand on the north side of the A303 to the west of Amesbury and inside the Stonehenge World Heritage Site
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Wiltshire, England. The WHS covers two large areas of land separated by nearly , rather than a specific monument or building. The sites were inscribed as co-listings in 1986....
, although several used to stand south and along the course of the road. Several of the remaining clumps stand on land owned by the National Trust's
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
Stonehenge Landscape property.
Other woods
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
[in North East England], once owned by Nelson's friend and agent Alexander Davison
Alexander Davison
Alexander Davison was an English businessman, born on 2 April 1750 in Lanton, Northumberland, England and who died in 1829 in Brighton, England. He was a contemporary and close friend of Admiral Lord Nelson....
, a line of trees, viewed from above, takes on the shape of the coastline of the Nile delta. Other trees are in the positions of the British and French ships. Aerial photographs suggest that the trees may be at 55°19′10.72"N 1°44′20.25"W. Davison also erected an obelisk
Nelson Memorial, Swarland
A relatively obscure memorial to Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, victor of the Battle of Trafalgar, is situated by the old A1 , at Swarland in north Northumberland, England...
at Swarland. A plaque at the obelisk mentions the woods and states that they are to the west of the monument.
The Nile Clumps are sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Trafalgar Clumps. There is a separate Trafalgar Woods project to plant a total of 250,000 trees in a series of woods across the UK to commemorate the 2005 bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. There will be a total of 33 clumps, each representing a ship which took part in the battle. The largest will be Victory Wood in Kent with 100,000 trees.