AN AWARD winning artist is coming to the forest.

Marion Sidebottom, who was recently given funding by Arts Council England, will visit Epping forest to photograph ‘keystone veteran trees’.

Keystone veteran trees are the most important trees in the forest for maintaining biodiversity and are selected on their age. There is around 1,200 in the forest.

The photographs will be on display at a pop up exhibition at The View visitor centre on July 13 and 14.

Philip Woodhouse, chairman of the City of London Corporations Epping Forest Committee, said: “Many of the UK’s rarest wildlife species need ancient and veteran trees. A lot of them are only found at places like Epping Forest, where people have managed the site continuously and extended the trees’ lives.

“There are more than 50,000 ancient trees in this woodland and Marion’s work will raise awareness of how precious they are and how important they are to the people who visit and enjoy the forest.”