This marks a fascinating intersection of the natural world, literary heritage, and the sport of cricket, given also Soulton Hall's historical connection to Thomas Lodge’s Rosalynde, the source material for Shakespeare's play.
The felling of these willows recalls the evocative imagery Shakespeare painted of this landscape: "Under an oak whose antique root peeps out/Upon the brook that brawls along this wood." This description of an ancient oak by the flowing water still resonates at Soulton Wood, where the harvested willows stood for the last decade and a half beside what Celia aptly described as "the murmuring stream."
These trees, nurtured for decades in a former River Meadow by the Ashton family and JS Wright & Sons, are now transitioning from their tranquil setting to the dynamic realm of cricket.
JS Wright & Sons, a long-established cricket bat manufacturer with a history dating back to 1894, is processing the willow. The company, which supplies approximately 75% of the world's cricket bats, brings its extensive expertise to transform the Soulton timber into instruments for the sport.
One of the resulting bats is slated to be kept as a special memento, which will be given to a public historian with a long-standing interest in Soulton Hall.
The connection to As You Like It is further underscored by Celia’s detailed directions to Rosalynde’s Cottage which is close by where these trees grew:
OLIVER: … Where in the purlieus of this forest stands A sheep-cote fenced about with olive trees?
CELIA: West of this place, down in the neighbour bottom: The rank of osiers by the murmuring stream Left on your right hand brings you to the place. But at this hour the house doth keep itself; There’s none within.
The mention of "osiers," a type of willow commonly found along waterways, provides a subtle yet significant link to the very trees now destined for the cricket pitch. It's a curious thought that the timber for bats wielded in modern sporting arenas originated in a landscape so vividly depicted in a centuries-old literary masterpiece.
The transformation of these willows into cricket bats for elite sport is a source of considerable pleasure, mirroring what Celia exclaims in the play, urging merriment and the devising of "sports":
CELIA: … my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry.
ROSALIND: From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports.
A spokesman for the Ashton family said: “This spirit of joy and the anticipation of sporting endeavours once again intertwine with the legacy of Soulton Wood. The journey of this timber from the literary landscape of As You Like It to the hands of cricketers around the world highlights the diverse and often surprising connections between nature, art, and sport.”
Oak timber from these very grounds was also selected for a crucial task in the nation's history: the repair of the WWII bomb damage to the chamber of the House of Commons. This historical fact underscores the quality and versatility of the wood nurtured in this remarkable location.
Oak timber from these very grounds was also selected for a crucial task in the nation's history: the repair of the WWII bomb damage to the chamber of the House of Commons. This historical fact underscores the quality and versatility of the wood nurtured in this remarkable location.
Oak timber from Soulton Wood was also selected for the repair of the WWII bomb damage to the chamber of the House of Commons. This historical fact underscores the quality and versatility of the wood nurtured in this remarkable location.