Chislehurst - Foxhome Close (Kent)

Thanks to Helen who told us of another Giant Redwood location in Chislehurst and provided us with these details. She wrote; "This Redwood tree is located in Foxhome Close, Chislehurst, and is tall enough to be seen from Willow Grove despite the ground dropping away somewhat. I was quite excited when I spotted this one. (I have been driving by it without noticing it for 20 years!) It is tall, has a good girth and has a rounded canopy. It also appears to have yellow flowers and cones on it. This is a magnificent tree and it is the subject of a Tree Preservation Order."

The parts that look like yellow flowers are actually the pollen-producing male cones. "The location of this tree is very close to the Camden Park estate where the Chislehurst Golf Club is located. The clubhouse is one of several "big houses" within the Chislehurst area and is called Camden Place. To summarise, Camden Place has been the home of a former Lord Chancellor; it has been the location of the French Court in Exile when Napoleon III lived there; William Willett, who campaigned for British Summer Time lived there; and there has been a murder on the premises. A public footpath leads southwest from Willow Grove to Camden Park Road, following the current southern boundary of Camden Park. It is possible to see this tree from the footpath, although the view is somewhat obscured by growth along the side of the footpath. I am aware that a section of Camden Park was subdivided for housing and wouldn't be surprised if Foxhome Close was part of that subdivision, in which case this Redwood would have originally been on Camden Park land. I have been unable to find any other redwoods nearby although there are a number of species of tall pines on neighbouring properties; and at the other end of the footpath, there is a particularly good avenue of tall pines along Camden Park Road."