New Life in Appledore

The Giant Redwood Wellingtinia, Sequoiadendron giganteum that stood in the churchyard at Appledore was a striking focal point of the village, set as it is in the flat countryside of Romney Marsh in Kent. Rising to a height of 90’ (approx. 30 metres), the tree has been estimated at about 100 years old. This would make sense as there was a great number of these trees planted all over the country to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897.

As the churchyard at Appledore is now closed for burials, the maintenance and upkeep becomes the responsibility of the local authority, in this case Ashford Borough Council. The tree had been noticeably failing for a couple of years, and the decision was taken to remove it. The council engaged the services of local contractor Gary Bridgeland to undertake the work. What on the face of it would appear to be a relatively straightforward take down job had a series of exceptional circumstances that made it out of the ordinary.

Whilst the type of tree and its location made dismantling with a MEWP the most obvious tactic, there were a number of factors that needed to be considered. Most importantly, any MEWP used would need to be capable of a 100’ extension and consequently would be of a significant size and weight. There was certainly space around the tree, but the risk assessment showed that there was a problem with ground stability. There has been a church recorded on the site at Appledore since the reign of King Alfred in the 9thC, which means that burials have been taking place for well in excess of 1000 years. This does explain why the tree flourished but also means that there could be any number of hollows and ‘soft’ spots within the churchyard. The decision was made to deal with the tree using traditional climbing methods, fully supported by Ashford Borough Council.

David Williams, who then began to sectionalise the main trunk, quickly dismantled the top of the tree. The tree was reduced until a section of approximately 30’ remained. This was cut into two and removed to a local sawmill. The resulting timber will then be made into a bench for the churchyard by local woodworker, David Hall. The remainder of the tree has been left as a four-foot stump, which will be used as an outdoor meeting point.

Climber Davis Williams takes out the upper sections

How The Wellingtonia Got Its Name
In 1853 the Veitch nursery, in Exeter, sent William Lobb to look for new botanical specimens in California. It was the height of the Gold Rush, and Lobb heard rumours of a grove of giant trees that had been found by a miner in the Sierra Mountains. Lobb hired horses to go to Calaveras County, and was awe-struck by a grove of giant trees: the Sequoiadendron Giganteum. There were 80 or 90 trees up to 300 feet tall. The girth of several exceeded 70 feet. These trees proved to be the largest living organisms on Earth. According to Meetings With Remarkable Trees, Lobb “filled his pockets with seed, took cuttings, and even dug up two small plants. Then he returned to England as fast as a sailing boat could carry him round Cape Horn. This was a triumph for himself —- and a gold-mine for Veitch.”

The tree was named the Wellingtonia in the U.K. in honour of the Duke of Wellington who had died the previous year. The Gardeners Chronicle broke the news of the giant tree on Christmas Eve, 1853 – more than 150 years ago. In no time at all, Wellingtonia mania swept the country: one-year-old seedlings were two guineas each, and purchased by the thousands. Wellingtonia were routinely planted in the grounds of great houses in Victorian times, as well as in suburban parks and even town gardens. Their use at stately homes appears to have had a twofold reason; as well as providing a series of striking trees in a relatively short time, they also acted as lightning conductors. It is not unusual to see them quite obviously placed at the four corners of these houses, where they rapidly attained a great height. It is likely that it was a lightning strike that killed the Appledore specimen. The pattern of decline that affected the tree over a 2-3 year period certainly indicates this, although there has been noticed mycelium infection under the bark. This is most likely post death however, as the powdery condition of the heartwood in the upper branches is symptomatic of lightning strike.

Ashford Borough Council has planted a replacement tree in the grounds. Even in the fertile soil of the churchyard it will take around a The Bridgeland team with the replacement century to attain the height of its predecessor. However it should achieve a respectable 30-40’ on the next 20 to 30 years.