10 significant (and historic) London trees

10 significant (and historic) London trees…7. D-Day Tree…

by exploringlondon
PICTURE: Courtesy of Google Maps

Nations, including the UK, have just marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy at a range of locations in France and England. But did you know London has its own “D-Day tree”?

The tree, a Ginkgo biloba or Maidenhair tree, is located outside number 22 in Grosvenor Square in Mayfair (on the corner with Upper Brooks Street). It was planted in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

As well as the tree itself, the landings are commemorated with plaques around the base which provide the date of the landings and its code-name, Operation Overlord.

The location apparently relates to 20 Grosvenor Square being, for a time, the headquarters of Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force launched on D-Day. There’s a plaque on the building commemorating his tenure.

In fact, the number of Americans working in the square – at locations including the US Embassy – led to it being known colloquially as ‘Eisenhower Platz’).

The tree was planted by the City of Westminster.

Note: There seems to be some conflicting information, not the least on a plaque in Bushy Park about Eisenhower’s connections with Grosvenor Square and Norfolk House in St James’s Square. We’ll be investigating further to clarify.

10 significant (and historic) London trees…4. The Royal Oak, Richmond Park…

by exploringlondon
The Royal Oak. PICTURE: AndyScott (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)

Estimated to be more than 750-years-old, the tree known as the Royal Oak is located near Pen Ponds and Richmond Gate.

This massive English oak (Quercus robur), which is hollow, doesn’t have any direct connections to royalty but it did survive the felling of trees which took place in Richmond Park and across the south-east of England so King Henry VIII’s navy could be built.

That may have been thanks to the King himself, who wisely passed a law to spare every 10th tree in the park for future seed.

While the park had been used by King Henry VIII as a hunting ground, it wasn’t until 1637 – during the reign of King Charles I – that it was first enclosed.

The tree, which is said to be one of 1,400 “veteran trees” in the park, was pollarded for several hundred years which helped create its shape – this is a method of pruning which removes the top-most branches to form a denser head (and creates wood which can be used for a variety of purposes).

WHERE: Near Pen Ponds, Richmond Park; WHEN: 24/7 pedestrian access; COST: Free; WEBSITE: www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/richmond-park

10 significant (and historic) London trees…3. Charter Oak of Bexley…

by exploringlondon
Danson Mansion and the Charter Oak of Bexley. PICTURE: Brian Toward (Public Domain)

Located in Danson Park in Bexley, south-east London, this tree is another of those in London which has been awarded “Great Tree” status.

Estimated to be around 200-years-old, it was planted in what was originally the grounds of the Danson Mansion Estate.

Danson House, a Palladian villa, was built by Sir John Boyd in 1766 for his second wife Catherine Chapone and designed by Sir Robert Taylor, the architect who also designed the Bank of England.

The Charter Oak of Bexley’s name comes from the charter which changed Bexley from a Urban District Council to the Borough of Bexley. It was presented to the first municipal council by Lord Cornwallis underneath the oak in 1937.

The Charter Oak of Bexley in 2011. PICTURE: Brian Toward (Public Domain)

The oak’s significance is underlined by its presence on the Borough of Bexley’s coat-of-arms.

Visibly deteriorating, in 2017, “revolutionary geo-injector technology” was used to decompact the soil around the tree and feed its roots, successfully extending the tree’s life.

WHERE: Danson Park, Bexley (nearest railway stations are Bexleyheath and Welling); WHEN: 24 hours a day; COST: Free; WEBSITE: https://www.bexley.gov.uk/discover-bexley/visitor-attractions/danson-house-and-park/house

10 significant (and historic) London trees…2. The Cheapside Plane…

by exploringlondon
PICTURE: Hornbeam Arts (licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Said to be among the oldest still living trees in the City of London, the Cheapside Plane stands in what was once the churchyard of St Peter Cheap.

The church itself was destroyed in the Great Fire of London but how long this leafy tree, which stands more than 70 feet high, has occupied the site remains a matter of some conjecture.

A City of London tree trail puts the age of the tree – which stands at the corner of Wood Street and Cheapside – at 250 years (records held by the City say the tree was originally purchased for sixpence).

Over the years, this landmark tree – which has stood silent witness to everything from the 1854 cholera outbreak to the bombs of the Blitz – has garnered considerable attention appearing in various media, such as the Illustrated London News, and even, so say some, a 1797 poem by William Wordsworth (although some say the poem doesn’t refer to the tree at all).

The tree, which stands behind protective black iron railing, is the only one in the City of London listed among the “Great Trees of London” and planning laws protect it from over-development of the surrounding buildings.