Songs Beneath the Trees – The Oak

Songs Beneath the Trees is a collection of songs written specifically for Sibden Hill in Shanklin. Follow the trail to hear five beautiful songs under the trees that inspired local musician, Paul Armfield, to create them.

This was inspired by hearing that despite the majority of our oaks being felled to build the British naval fleet, there were still many oaks that were not touched, with wood being imported from elsewhere. It would be nice to think that they were spared the axe because communities appreciated their beauty and maybe had sentimental associations with them as places of shelter, places to meet. There are two main types of oak in the UK, sessile and pedunculate, wonderful words that I was keen to include… somehow!