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.

1. The Mere Terraces Sweet Chestnut. 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#/

2. The Guardian Yew Tree. 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. The stately Acer of Lee. Nominated by Suzanne Evans

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. The Ghost Tree of Blakemere 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 like to 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. Majestic Baby Sequoia Tree in the Cremorne. Nominated by Ali Butler

I would like to nominate the majestic baby sequoia tree in the Cremorne, as I always thought that it would make a fabulous illuminated Christmas Tree. This ‘young’ sequoia complements the two existing ‘big brothers’ sequoias that have graced the Cremorne for a long time.

8. Avenue of Trees, Cremorne Gardens. Nominate by Ali Butler

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.

10. Poplars For Goalposts Nominated by Roger Gocher

These towering trees have played host to generations of footballing Ellesmerians and visitors alike. Growing up in Ellesmere meant spending lots of time down ‘The Mere’ playing footy, and these majestic Lombardy Poplar trees have been a reliable, if bulky, stand-in for wooden goalposts. They symbolise childhood to me.

11. Fragrant and shade-giving Wisteria in an Ellesmere Garden. Nominated by Sandra Millard.

Our lovely wisteria tree is just beautiful – we absolutely love it when the birds perch in its branches and sing to us. During this scorcher of a summer, it has given us much-needed shade and it also smells just divine when the flowers bloom

12. Ellesmere’s Promenade Trees. Nominated by Elizabeth Ballamy

I would like to nominate the urban trees (Silver Maple) planted in the centre of Ellesmere, next to the central car park and opposite the DIY shop. The small avenue of trees adds great character to the town. The shade they have provided during this hot summer has allowed this space to become a meeting point for residents and visitors alike. A cool spot and a welcome reprieve from the sun. It’s a pleasure to watch people gathering there. As the season progresses, the trees frame our winter festival and have been beautifully accessorised by the stealthy yarn bombers. Earlier in the year, the trees were saved from felling when residents voiced their support and love of these high-amenity trees.
These trees add greatly to the quality of life in our town and deserve a nomination.

14. Grandad Tony’s Cherry Tree. Nominated by Wendy Williams

At the bottom of our garden, we planted a special tree that we bought one Father’s Day for my Father-in-law, Tony. It was a mere stick which we literally rammed into the soil by the front door until we thought better of it and placed it at the bottom of our back garden, where we now have essential shade, delicious cherries and memories of our very special Grandad Tony.

15. The Old Man of Oswestry Road

This beautifully shaped veteran oak has been a feature in the landscape for maybe over 300 years. It’s my favourite tree in the town, and I often go and give it a great big hug. Sometimes, I hug it a bit longer and find it gives me many benefits from doing so. The oak has a Tree Preservation Order on it, which is great and means that it gets inspected and pruned if needed.

16. Our Magnificent Mulberry. Nominated by Guy Chambers

Our Mullberry tree was perhaps planted over 150 years ago.

More to go here…
It provides us with delicious mulberries in the summer. This year we had a bumper crop.

17. Gareth’s Glamorous Gran’s Medlar Tree

This pretty little medlar tree is special to me for a few reasons: my grandmother, Ellen Mary Russell (who passed away in 2009 at 103 years young), first planted it in her garden in Liverpool. As the tree grew, her love and attachment to her medlar tree grew too.
On Ellen’s 100th birthday, in 2006, I took ownership of Gran’s tree. We carefully moved it from her garden in Liverpool. Since then, the replanted medlar has moved with me four times: from Ponciau, Ruabon and Rhos nr Wrexham, to finally ending up over the border in my garden at Lyneal nr Ellesmere.
Whenever I look at the medlar and its distinctive fruits, it always makes me think of my grandmother. Gareth Ankers-Phillips – Photo of my Gran in 1920, aged 17. I hope you like it as much as I do.

18. The Surgeon’s Barrel Oak

Yet another Ellesmere tree that spent its childhood in Liverpool!
In 1976, an acorn gathered from Sandy Lane, Ellesmere, was planted in a barrel by a young Christian Harris, who was still attending Ellesmere Primary School. Years later, it travelled with him to his flat in Liverpool when he attended the University of Liverpool School of Medicine.

After qualifying as a surgeon, the now Dr Harris moved to Australia, so his beloved, and by now much taller, sessile oak tree was moved back to the family home in Ellesmere. Dr Harris’ mother, Ann, remembers that the removal people who carried his belongings and tree back commented at the time.
“We did not know we were having to move a bleedin’ forest!”

The tree in a barrel grew well and soon broke free from its constrictions. Now it sits gracefully in the courtyard at the back of April Cottage in Love Lane, amongst the other trees and plants, and is a constant reminder to Mum Ann of her dearly loved son, who lives so far away.