Some East Devon Tree Tales:

boys running under Phear Park Lucombe Oak

Phear Park's Lucombe Oaks

The champion Lucombe Oak in the country is in Phear Park, Exmouth. The tree has a girth of 7.91m and is one of several mature Lucombe Oaks to be found in this parkland which was donated to the people of Exmouth by the Phear family after the war. Its age is not known but since the Lucombe Oak was first grown by William Lucombe in 1767, it can't be more than 250 years old. It has a fungus, ganoderma resinaceum, which feeds on the heartwood of the tree. This means it is gradually hollowing out. Hollow trees can survive for hundreds of years and often survive better than other trees because they are more flexible in high winds.

Tom's Willow, Newton Poppleford

A gentleman called Tom Veal was working at Luscombes Nurseries in Back Lane, Newton Poppleford in 1943. New shrubs were needed around the railway station platform so Tom was given some sprigs to plant. 63 years later, many people appreciate his labour as the tree changes colour with the seasons.

Whimple Wonder

This sapling has been grown from a graft of the last remaining Whimple Wonder, one of three trees of a particular cider variety only known in the village. It was planted by the Whimple History Society outside the brand new Heritage Centre and represents the heritage of cider-making in Whimple, where Whiteways cider factory stood for 100 years.

Broadhayes Lucombe Oak, Stockland

Bryan Drew of Stockland has nominated the beautiful Broadhayes Lucombe Oak for the Great Tree Hunt. Lucombe Oaks are a particular feature of East Devon, having been bred by Exeter nurseryman William Lucombe in 1762 when he noticed that Turkey Oaks and Cork Oaks crossbred to produce an evergreen variety with qualities of both. He then grafted some of these seedlings onto ordinary Turkey Oaks. It became a "status symbol" amongst local landowners to plant these stately trees in their grounds.

It is a fantastic tree with a 5m girth and a 30m spread which was planted in 1860 by Benjamin Hooper, head gardener on the Broadhayes estate at the time. In 2002 a sapling growing from an acorn from this tree was planted in the prestigious National Trust gardens at Hinton Ampner in Hampshire to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The acorn was raised by Benjamin's great grandson, Tom Brooks, and planted by Benjamin's great great grandson Nick Brooks who is carrying on the family tradition and is now head gardener at Hinton Ampner. Benjamin himself was quite a local celebrity, having pulled a four wheeled wagon a distance of 35 miles from Axminster to Dorchester to earn a sovereign. He was the founder of a large family and is now buried with his wife Ann in Stockland churchyard.

Salcombe Regis Thorn

There has been a Hawthorn tree planted at the same fork in the road at Salcombe Regis since Saxon times. Local legend has it that the well-being of the village depends on the health of the tree.

Monkey Puzzle at Bicton

The Monkey Puzzle at Bicton is part of a long avenue and it is the largest in the UK. The avenue was planted in 1843 using seeds from Chile collected by William Lobb for Veitch’s Nursery in Exeter. He had rediscovered the species, using rough notes written by Archibald Menzies in 1795.

Great Oak at Upton Pyne

There is an ancient oak to the north of Upton Pyne which is marked on John Donne's map of 1765 as "The Broad Oak". It is also mentioned by the Reverend John Swete in his travel diaries of 1789 as being "a very noble, antient and vast oak" at the "five mile stone from Exeter". It was obviously an important Devon landmark in the 18th century but now you would pass it without a second glance, since it has "grown down" into a short squat little chap with a girth of nearly 9m. It was measured and photographed in 1901 by the Exeter College Field Club and it has reduced in size still further since then. A recent visit from national experts from the Ancient Tree Forum dated the tree at around 700 years. It is wonderful to see such a fantastic heritage tree allowed to live and age naturally like this.

Killerton’s Giant Redwood

Officially the very first Giant Redwood to be planted in England, Killerton’s tree was planted in 1853. William Lobb introduced the Giant Redwood to Britain from the Calaveras Grove in California, a sacred tribal area. Many people were shocked when two of the trees were felled to create Victorian visitor attractions. One turned out to have been the oldest tree in the world

Have you got a tree story to tell?

You can ring KateTobin on 01395 517557 or email ktobin@eastdevon.gov.uk . Alternatively, you can nominate a tree to tell its story on-line by visiting the interactive Great Trees map

Page last updated on 24 May 2012