Sick tree or should it be like this?

[Graye]

We have a tree in our garden which I cannot identify. I'm not even sure it is supposed to have the gnarly bark on the stems. Can anyone give me a clue please?

[old tree man]

Its quite difficult to see but it does look very similar to a cork hazel, i will see if i can look it up for you,

Russ

[marshlander]

It does look like a decorative bark doesn't it. Sim to a snake bark maple but not a maple. I agree the leaves look like Hazel (corylacae) - Did the tree have catkins in the spring? (Hazels do)

[Graye]

I'm not sure if it has catkins, I didn´t notice last year but I'll check that out when the time comes. The leaves aren´t as big as hazel, are much coarser to the feel and they are arranged on branches which are fanned if you can see the picture. I've got a clearer one I'll try putting up later. Someone else has suggested beech?

[Graye]

In fact I can see some proper hazel leaves in the top of the picture from a tree nearby if that gives an idea of size?

[Graye]

Here's a better view of the leaves and the way they are arranged on the stem.

[Millymollymandy]

That's interesting because my young Liquidambar has bark just like that and at first I thought it was some kind of insect damage. Now I just assume that is what it is supposed to be like as the tree is healthy and growing at a rate of knots!

It's not a liquidambar tree btw.

[killmyheart]

I am also not sure this is what the tree in the end, it is the results?