that Monkey Puzzle Tree 1809 - 2009

(mouseover the 2001 photo to see how the Orangery looks now)
'THE DAY THE TREE CAME DOWN!'

It was approx 200 years old and was felled on 29th September 2009, changing the look of The Orangery for ever. The tree surgeons said it had become diseased and unsafe. Many years ago cables had been attached high in the tree and had strangled the trunk as it grew. The Monkey Puzzle Tree was a feature of Beechfield. However, it will be replaced with a young new Monkey Puzzle in the near future.

Betty Hurry
resident of Beechfield