Great Trees of Ellesmere

Great Trees of Ellesmere… A fun, community-focused contest celebrating the best of Ellesmere’s unqiue treescapes.

Do you have a tree that is special to you or your family? A tree with a unique personal story? Or maybe a tree that is special in other ways, a tree that marks an historic event, a gnarly ancient tree or a tree that is just plain beautiful and inspires you every time you ‘meet’ it?
If so, then we would like to hear from you.

A new community-focused initiative celebrating Ellesmere (and its surrounding villages) most remarkable and cherished trees, the Great Trees of Ellesmere contest is inviting residents, visitors, schools, community groups, and businesses to nominate individual trees, groups, and avenues of trees that mean the most to them. Whether it’s a tree that marks a special family memory, a striking specimen in your garden, or simply a tree you admire on your daily walk, we’d love to hear its story.

To enter: Please obtain the tree owner’s permission if possible, then send us a photograph of your chosen tree along with a short description explaining what makes it special to you to thetreehunter@gmail.com. Together, we can celebrate the remarkable trees that help make Ellesmere (and its surrounding villages) such a beautiful and distinctive place.

Closing Date: ‘Entrees’ are open until 15th September, after which the ‘celebritree’ judging panel will choose their favourite top three trees. Nominated trees will be displayed below…

RESULTS and awards: The results will be announced in early October at an awards ceremony, with new Town Mayor Pete Jones presenting the prizes and, hopefully, some exciting donated prizes.

WHERE DISPLAYED: All nominated trees will be showcased online, and in the Market Hall, Ellesmere throughout the summer months (subject to confirmation soon), allowing the public to follow the competition and discover some of the area’s finest specimens.

Visit either TheTreeHunter.com or via Facebook on the Great Trees of Ellesmere and Ellesmere Community News Group, or follow the contest on Instagram @thetreehunter for regular updates.

Contest organiser, Rob McBride said, “We are inviting people to send in photographs of their favourite trees, along with a few words explaining what makes them special. Whether it’s a majestic oak, a distinctive beech tree, a tree associated with local history or simply one that means something to you personally, I’d love to hear about it.”

The Great Trees of Ellesmere competition hopes to uncover some of the town’s hidden arboreal treasures while raising awareness of the importance of trees to the local environment and community.

Nominated by: Wendy Salter
1) The large Sweet Chestnut in the Mere Terraces (aka old arboretum).
This old sweet chestnut tree was already a mature tree when the terraces rising up from the Mereside were built.
In the winter of 1812, the sweet chestnut would have watched local labourers and captured Napoleonic prisoners carve out the terraces for the development of Ellesmere House Gardens. The spoil from the works marked the beginning of Moscow Island, which was so named to mock Napoleon’s humiliating retreat from Moscow. The tiered walkways offer elevated views of England’s largest glacial mere.
(The tree was recorded onto a national database for significant UK trees (the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory) by Shaun Burkey in 2008. Tree ID No. 10141. Visit the tree here… https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/tree-search/tree?treeid=10141#/

Nominated by Kathy Bird
I would like to nominate the yew tree in Ellesmere Cemetery that has sheltered the grave of my gran and grandad: Margaret May Price and Isaac Meredith Price of the Fish and Chip shop in Watergate Street. I used to go with my mum to take flowers to the grave when grandad was alone there, and later when gran joined him. My sister Margaret Christine Bird is also with them. I always thought the tree was looking after them.

It is a lovely tree, and because of my memories,  it is incredibly special.

The tree and grave are located to the right of the chapel as you walk up the path towards the chapel.

I do not know how old this tree is, but I  know that they are amazing; they can regrow and are resistant to disease and can have a lifespan of several thousand years. I took the old photo after grandad was buried; my daughter took the other photos yesterday.

3. Nominated by Suzanne Evans
The stately Acer of Lee.
Suzanne says… ‘

“A magnificent Acer, the most beautiful shape, gorgeous Autumn colour, and a stately figure in the centre of the garden! It sparks joy whenever I look at it.”

4. Sandy Lane Oak Tree – Nominated by Nick Cull
Its massive roots are semi-exposed on the bank, and it stands like a sentinel, watching over the Lane and its users. Neither shy nor extrovert, it recognises its role in life and carries it out without fuss. This magnificent oak can be found near the bottom of Sandy Lane. I nominate this tree. Nick Cull

5. Nominated by Ali Butler

The eerie, ghostly reflection that this decaying old tree casts on the water is stunning and always reaches out to us across the deep, dark waters of Blakemere as we walk along the canal towpath.

6. Bandstand Yew tree Nominated by Kathy Bird
   
   I would nominate the Yew tree in the Cremorne gardens, not far from the bandstand. It was a favourite climbing, hiding place, a friendly tree for children,  and a fascinating tree for all.  My mind’s eye works overtime every time I visit, seeing groups of us playing kick the can; the yew became quite an obvious hiding place.Again, I don’t know the age, but perhaps it was planted when the gardens were given to the people of Ellesmere in 1953 (I was 8 years old) by Lord Brownlow.

7. Ali Butler Majestic Fir Tree in the Cremorne
I would like to nominate the majestic Fir Tree in the Cremorne, as I always thought that it would make a fabulous illuminated Christmas Tree

8. Ali Butler Avenue of Trees Cremorne Gardens
The towering avenue of trees in the Cremorne is stunning to walk through, especially Autumn and Wintertime when the leaves are a riot of blazing colours.

9. The Cascading Wedding Willow, nominated by Mandie Bridge
This gorgeously cascading willow tree is our favourite tree in Ellesmere. After our wedding ceremony and photos up at St Mary’s Church, we all wandered down to the edge of the beautiful Mere to have romantic wedding photos taken beneath its boughs.