Fobbing - St Michael's Church (Essex)

Giant Redwood - December 2021

Thanks to Paul Butterworth who wrote to say he had found a small Redwood at St. Michael's Church, Fobbing in Essex on 9th December 2021. Paul told us that it stands; "South East from Church, and its girth is 1.6 metres at 1.5 metres above ground."

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* * * Update - February 2023 * * *

Giant Redwood - February 2023

At long last, a visit to see this Giant Redwood at Fobbing on a cold sunny day in February 2023 found it looking healthy and growing well.

Entrance gates to St. Michael's showing the Giant Redwood a little way in - February 2023

The tree has a brass memorial plaque pinned to its trunk stating "In memory of Gwendoline Avis Barnes (1925 - 2004) and Leonard Andrew Barnes (1921 - 2013)". So it is possible that this tree was planted around 2004, and perhaps the plaque was originally attached to a post beside the tree as a young sapling, and later screwed to the trunk once the tree had grown substantially. This is all supposition of course! Oddly there is also a smaller brass plate roughly attached at the same point stating "In memory of Albert Smith (1920 - 2004)". There is also one war grave at St. Michael's, for a Private F. Pounder, Border Regiment (29th June 1915)".

War grave of Private F. Pounder, Border regiment

Memorial plaque for Gwendoline and Leonard Barnes, also Albert Smith

Common Names and Latin Name	Latitude and Longitude		OS National Grid	Height	Girth	Date Measured
	WGS84	OSGB36
Giant Redwood, Wellingtonia Sequoiadendron giganteum	N51.527711 E0.475580	N51.52719 E0.47723	TQ 71820 83882	12.3m	1.7m	February 2023
Girth was measured at 1.5 metres from ground