One tree, five trees, 20 trees?

A large shrub? A tree normally has just the one trunk.?

I think it’s called coppicing, caused when the young tree is damaged or deliberately cut for varying reasons. It then grows multiple trunks, I’m sure someone with more knowledge will be along.

I did wonder that, lemongrove but they are massive!

About 40 or 50 feet tall!

Then again I suppose if they're never cut back they could end up heading for the moon!

Many thanks, tanith

Sounds very possible!

Oh wow! I assumed from the pic it was about seven feet.?

oopsminty this is from a local wood to me it’s interesting

www.ruislipwoodstrust.org.uk/coppicing.html

Agree with tanith.

I agree Tanith. It looks like a coppiced tree to me

lemongrove

Oh wow! I assumed from the pic it was about seven feet.?

It was only the base of the tree, lemongrove! I should have explained better!

And many thanks for the link re: coppicing, Tanith

I think that must be it.

All these years I've been quietly wondering what was going on and now I know

?

This sometimes happens with hazel trees. But I don't think they thrive near the coast.

ps
c2.staticflickr.com/6/5062/5679617006_8c5d832799_b.jpg

Because it is so big, I wonder if it is a beech coppice? (see pic) I cannot see the leaves that well.

We have a few hazel trees (corylus). They have a similar leaf to beech but don't grow as high. They naturally seem to grow as a coppice, and we just hack some shoots down to the ground every few years to keep it in check.

With beech I think unless it was damaged early on, it normally grows on one trunk, so these have probably been coppiced.

Coppice many years ago now it’s growing multi stems.

It has been coppiced. It stimulates growth.

Trees can also be pollarded; they are not cut to ground level but higher up and will sprout again.

Thank you all!

I shall take some photos of the leaves tomorrow and hopefully the mystery will be solved!

I think there are about 5 or 6 along a small path that leads to the woods. It's very sandy soil. There's quite an array of trees and shrubs down there. We also get lots of bluebells and daffodils down there. Not sure how they got there!

Once again, thank you for help.

Learning something new every day!

They are probably hazel trees. They grow multi stemmed naturally, so your trees may not have been coppiced. Did you notice any catkins in the early spring?
Have a look for any developing nuts.
Try google lens with your phone, if it has that capability, it is quite a good tool for identifying plants.

I thought I had posted again but my post isn't here - it has either disappeared or on a totally different thread!