Strange holes

[hornbeam_mad]

Does anyone recognize what's going on here? The tree itself is on our boundary and has roughly twenty of these holes all over the two trunks. I'm asking more out of curiosity as I walk past it every day.

http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/z365/hornbeam_mad/Trees/?action=view&current=TreeHoles2.jpg

http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/z365/hornbeam_mad/Trees/?action=view&current=TreeHoles.jpg

http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/z365/hornbeam_mad/Trees/?action=view&current=TreeHoles3.jpg

All ideas welcome.

[Rod Taylor]

Not a clue Rich but we have several Ash trees in our wood that have simelar markings/damage but not noticed it on any Hornbeam (yet).

[Twybill]

The holes look to be on Ash and I would suggest it is canker. One of the photos has the appearance of an old pollard and the hole on that could be where one of the re-growth branches has died back into the main trunk. Pollards often occur on boundaries and in the past were important markers.

You could try starting new pollards on some of your hornbeam, it will add features to the coppice.