Lonely Tree

Last updated

Lonely Tree
Field outside Llanfyllin (geograph 3098637) (cropped).jpg
The Lonely Tree atop Green Hall Hill in 2012
Species Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris )
Location Llanfyllin, Powys, Wales
Coordinates 52°45′45″N3°15′02″W / 52.7624°N 3.2506°W / 52.7624; -3.2506 Coordinates: 52°45′45″N3°15′02″W / 52.7624°N 3.2506°W / 52.7624; -3.2506
Date seededBefore 1815
Date felledFebruary 2014
CustodianLlanfyllin Town Council

The Lonely Tree was a Scots pine on a hill near Llanfyllin, Powys, Wales. Visible from much of the town it was a local landmark with several traditions attached to it. The tree was blown over during a storm in February 2014, and despite efforts to save it, the tree was found to be dead in June 2015. The tree was voted Welsh Tree of the Year for 2014 and finished tenth in the European Tree of the Year awards for 2015. Seventeen saplings have been planted nearby in the hope that one will grow to replace the tree.

Contents

Description and history

The Lonely Tree was a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) located on top of the 250-metre (820 ft) high Green Hall Hill overlooking the town of Llanfyllin in Powys, Wales and was visible from much of the town. [1] [2] [3] The tree is thought to have seeded before 1815 and was classed as a veteran tree. [1] [2] The tree was 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) in girth and was noted to have been suffering from decaying wood in its crown and from hollowing of its branches. [1]

The tree was a popular local landmark and also an attraction for hill walkers. [3] The site was used as a scout camp site and part of the cross country course for the local school. It was also the site of one of the millennium beacons. [1] Many traditions attached themselves to the tree with local people carving their initials on it, proposing marriage near it and having their ashes scattered there. [2] The tree was used as the symbol of Llanfyllin Town Council. [1]

Felling and replacement

The Lonely Tree was blown over by 100-mile-per-hour (160 km/h) winds during a storm in February 2014. [2] [4] In an attempt to save the tree, locals brought between 30 and 60 tonnes of soil up the hill, using equipment donated by local companies, to place over its roots to prevent them drying out. [1] [2] [5] There were hopes that the tree would regrow from the rootstock. [1] Hundreds of people visited the site after the storm to pay their respects to the tree. [1] Donations of several hundred pounds were received from Welsh expatriates towards the care of the tree. [5] Llanfyllin town mayor Ann Williams said at the time: "The Lonely Tree is such a strong symbol of how much a community can stick together and keep something alive." [5]

The tree received significant attention after it fell. It was voted "Wales's third favourite special place" in 2014 and in October of that year was entered into the Welsh Tree of the Year competition. [5] The tree won the competition, and as a result, was entered into the European Tree of the Year competition in 2015, finishing tenth with 1,548 votes. [2]

Planning for a replacement of the tree by the town council began in April 2015 and discussions were held about installing a memorial plaque if it did not recover. [1] [4] In June it was confirmed that the tree had died—its remains were left in situ and seeds were taken from it in the hope of growing a new tree. [6] By December of that year seventeen saplings had been planted in a new fenced enclosure nearby with the hope that at least one would survive to become as iconic as the Lonely Tree. One sapling was a descendant of the original tree, one was from seeds collected locally and the remainder were donated by a plant nursery. [7]

Related Research Articles

Powys Place in Wales

Powys is a principal area and county, and one of the preserved counties of Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain.

Montgomeryshire historic county of Wales

Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county town, Montgomery, which in turn is named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

Newtown, Powys Human settlement in Wales

Newtown, the largest town in the county of Powys, Mid Wales, lies on the River Severn in the community of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn, within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It was designated a new town in 1967 and saw population growth as firms settled, changing its market town character. Its 2001 population of 12,783 eased to 11,357 at the 2011 census. It was the birthplace of Robert Owen in 1771, whose house stood on the present site of the HSBC Bank. The town has a theatre, Theatr Hafren, and a public gallery, Oriel Davies, displaying contemporary arts and crafts.

Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Human settlement in Wales

Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant is a small market town, community and an ecclesiastical parish in the extreme north of Powys, Wales; about 9 miles west of Oswestry and 12 miles south of Llangollen, on the B4580. It lies near the foothills of the Berwyn mountains on the river Rhaeadr. At the top end of the valley is the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall, one of the Seven Wonders of Wales in the old rhyme. One mile north of the village is the hill Moel Hen-fache. The community includes the hamlet of Llanarmon Mynydd Mawr.

Llanidloes Human settlement in Wales

Llanidloes is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire, Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh.

Knighton, Powys Town in the county of Powys, Wales

Knighton is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales, on the River Teme and the England–Wales border. The Teme is not navigable in its higher reaches. Part of the town, including Knighton railway station, is in Shropshire. Originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement, it later became a partially planned Norman town. It was situated in Mercia, being east of Offa's Dyke.

Builth Wells Market town and community in the county of Powys

Builth Wells is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh part of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,568.

Llandrindod Wells Human settlement in Wales

Llandrindod Wells is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powys County Council and thus the administrative centre of Powys.

Talgarth Human settlement in Wales

Talgarth is a market town, community and electoral ward in southern Powys, Mid Wales, about 12 miles (19 km) north of Crickhowell. Notable buildings in the town include its 14th-century parish church and 13th-century Pele Tower, located in the town centre, now home to the Tourist Information and Resource Centre. According to traditional accounts Talgarth was the capital of the early medieval Welsh Kingdom of Brycheiniog. It is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. In 2011 it had a population of 1,724.

Caersws Human settlement in Wales

Caersws is a village and community on the River Severn, in the Welsh county of Powys (Montgomeryshire) 5 miles (8 km) west of Newtown, and halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. It has a station on the Cambrian Line from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury. At the 2001 census it had a population of 1,526, increasing slightly to 1,586 at the 2011 Census.

Llanymynech Village straddling the England-Wales border

Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales, and Shropshire, England, about 9 miles (14 km) north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks". The village is on the banks of the river Vyrnwy, and the Montgomery Canal passes through it.

Meifod Human settlement in Wales

Meifod, formerly also written Meivod, is a small village, community and electoral ward 7 miles north-west of Welshpool in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, on the A495 road and located in the valley of the River Vyrnwy. The River Banwy has a confluence with the Vyrnwy approximately two miles to the west of the village. The village itself had a population of 317.

Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain Human settlement in Wales

Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain is a large village in Powys, mid Wales, close to the border with Shropshire in England, about 7 miles (11 km) south west of Oswestry and 8 miles (13 km) north of Welshpool. It is on the A495 road and is at the confluence of the River Vyrnwy and the Afon Cain. The population as of the 2011 UK Census was 1,415.

Llangynog village and community in Powys

Llangynog is a village and community at the confluence of the Afon Eirth and the Afon Tanat at the foot of the Berwyn range in north Powys, Wales.

Llanfyllin Human settlement in Wales

Llanfyllin is a small town in a sparsely populated area in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. Llanfyllin's population in 2011 was 1,532, of whom 34.1% could speak Welsh. Llanfyllin means church or parish (llan) of St Myllin.

Llanfyllin Town Football Club are a football club from Llanfyllin, Powys. While the Llanfyllin Men's Senior team currently compete in the 5th tier of Welsh football and play in the Montgomeryshire Amateur League Division One, the club field an under 19's youth team in the Central Wales Youth League and the Ladies team compete in the Dave Smith North Powys League.

Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa Human settlement in Wales

Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa was a parish within the former historic county of Montgomeryshire. It now forms a major part of the community of Llanfihangel in Powys, which covers an area of 5,366 hectares (20.72 sq mi). Its Community Council extends to take in Dolanog and Llwydiarth, having approximately 413 registered voters. The parish originally consisted of the following townships: Cefncleisiog, Cydwnfa, Dolwar, Fachwen, Farchwell, Fynnonarthwr, Garthucha, Halfen, Llaethbwlch, Llwydiarth, Nanty-Candy, and Rhiewlas. Dolanog seceded from Llanfihangel in 1856.

Llanerchydol Human settlement in Wales

Llanerchydol is a settlement on the A458 about 2 km west of the centre of Welshpool in the county of Powys in Wales. It is part of the community of Welshpool and also lends its name to an electoral ward.

Tomen yr Allt

Tomen yr Allt was a Medieval motte and bailey defensive castle near Llanfyllin in Powys, Wales. "Tomen ar hallt" is modern Welsh for "mound on the wooded hillside."

The Pwllpriddog Oak, also known as the Rhandirmwyn Oak, is a 600–700 year old tree located in farmland near Rhandirmwyn in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Recently it has served as a duck roost and a music venue. In 2018 the tree was named Welsh Tree of the Year in a public vote.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Vidal, John (8 March 2014). "Welsh town comes together to save 'Lonely Tree'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Lonely Tree of Llanfyllin". European Tree of the Year. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Aberystwyth: Historic woodland destroyed by hurricane force winds". North Wales Daily Post. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Plans to replace Powys's Lonely Tree". BBC News. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Lonely Tree of Llanfyllin is named Welsh Tree of the Year". Shropshire Star. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  6. ↑ Williams, Sally (5 June 2015). "Wales' majestic Lonely Tree has died a year after being felled by storms". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "Hopes for a new Lonely Tree for Llanfyllin". County Times. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.