Our final contributions to National Tree Week have joint significance in that they are both legacies of Newcastle’s industrial past. A walnut tree whose twisted and multi stemmed form pays homage to its more than interesting 200 year past and a veteran Ash whose almost human countenance is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of all that gaze upon it.
The Walnut was planted in the grounds of Benwell Hall, which dates back to the 1700s and has been home to some wealthy industrialists over the intervening years with the Ash planted in the grounds of Newbiggin Hall once the home of a wealthy steelwork owner in the 1800s. They both have outlived their historic pasts and are now integral parts of the Cities treescape with all the management challenges that this now presents to the City council.
Ash ( Newbiggin Hall)
Walnut ( Benwell Hall)