Located in the heart of Mayfair are some of the oldest – and most valuable – plane trees in London.

London plane trees (Platanus × acerifolia) – believed to be a hybrid of the American Sycamore Platanus occidentalis) and the Oriental Plane (Platanus orientalis) – were widely planted across London in the 18th century due to their resistance to pollution.

These grand old trees are believed to have been planted in 1789 by MP Edward Bouverie, who lived at 13 Berkeley Square.

Among the 30 or so plane trees in the Grade II-listed park is one known variously as the ‘Victorian Plane’ or ‘Berkeley Plane’.

It was reportedly assessed under the Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees system in 2008 as being worth $750,000, a price tag which is understood to have made it the most valuable tree in Britain at the time.

The tree was one of the original 41 Great Trees of London.