A Survey of Trees with Plaques in Winchester - TrustNews December 14
When researching Winchester’s trees for the Summer Walks Programme 2014 I found many trees with plaques recording the reason they were planted. Trees are a special feature of the cityscape both aesthetically and environmentally and, as some plaques were difficult to read or vandalised, l set out to record those l found, in order that these “small acts of kindness" to the city were not forgotten and to encourage further tree planting. Unfortunately the WCC Tree Sponsorship Scheme was put on hold in 2011 and so that route to planting is unavailable at present.
Trees were planted as memorials, commemorations or just as enhancements, although as two of these examples are by companies , they could also be considered advertisements.
The oldest planting recorded is a Copper Beech in Cromwell Road, Stanmore commemorating the opening of the housing estate in 1923 by the Prince of Wales. This is the only royal planting and is a public record of the estate's history and provides a link to the built environment. Another such link is a tree planted by Dame Mary Fagan at the opening of the University of Winchester’s Burma Road Village in 2013.
National history is represented by maples at the Fire Station in memory of firemen killed by a wartime bomb in 1940 and a cherry tree at Serle’s House for a Victoria Cross winner in 1942 who survived for another thirty seven years.
The majority of the trees memorialise peoples’ friends and families and the most satisfactory plaques tell the reader what was planted and who planted it, why and when. The largest planting is a line of twenty four, originally twenty five, copper beeches at Barton Farm - a lovely way to celebrate a silver wedding.
The nine page annotated list has been sent to the Trust and is available to Trust members by emaling margaretbarber1@hotmail.co.uk lt would be good to hear of any special trees that have been missed from the list.