Edenbridge - Stangrove Park (Kent)

Giant Redwood - December 2007

Thanks to Martin for the location and photographs of a Giant Sequoia he discovered, "near the playground where my son plays. I'm very surprised this one isn't on the list - it's very visible. It's in Stangrove Park in Edenbridge, Kent, between the playground and the main road (Station Road - B2026). It's near the Edenbridge Leisure Centre; the road leading into the car park is Wellingtonia Way, which is a give-away. I'm a native Californian and have very fond memories of visiting Sequoia National Park as a 5-year-old. When I saw this tree I was sure it was a Sequoia, but didn't have confirmation until I came upon your website and read that "Wellingtonia" hint."

* * * Update - June 2014 * * * Alex wrote from Eden Valley Museum hoping to find some answers regarding trees in Edenbridge, "I’m from a museum in Edenbridge, Kent and have been asked to look into 12 ‘apostle trees’ supposedly planted in Edenbridge during the reign of Queen Victoria. No other information was given other than the man in question thinks that they were redwoods, one or two of which were planted in Stangrove Park. After asking around, a second source of information says that there were some giant redwoods planted all around town to commemorate Queen Victoria’s jubilee. We have been able to identify several of these redwoods around town so far but really don’t have much more info. I was wondering if a) you had heard of redwoods being planted to commemorate Victoria before b) heard of them being named after the 12 apostles for any reason and c) do you have any more info on the Stangrove Park redwood or any others in Edenbridge? Sort of a longshot I know but I thought I would ask!" I have no other information about the Stangrove Park Redwoods and have not heard of the 12 ‘apostle trees’ planted in Edenbridge. I've also not heard of planting of Redwoods generally to commemorate Queen Victoria but these details usually get lost in the passage of time. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a number of trees planted for this reason because it was in the Victorian era that the plant hunters were sent to look for unusual plants and one of the trees they found was the Redwood. If anyone has any information please contact us and we will pass on your details to Alex.

* * * Update - November 2020 * * * Kevin wrote to tell us about his search to find the 12 ‘apostle trees’ planted in Edenbridge. "My four year old is obsessed with conkers, acorns and cones, especially now Giant Redwood cones! I always thought the tree in the picture on your website in Stangrove Park close to the Lebanese Ceder was a Western Red Ceder until my son found a cone and we realised it was a Giant Sequoia! Wonderful. Well, we then went on a hunt around Edenbridge for the 12 apostle trees (what a story!) and we found 12 redwoods; however, one is a Coast Redwood and two of the Giant Redwoods are juvenile (so presumably not of the original 12). Three are on the south side of town opposite Edenbridge Hospital in residential gardens (presumably they were not residential when planted), five are in the now Stangrove Park (including the two juvenile ones and the Coast Redwood), three are in an estate just outside the park on the west of it and the other one is also in an estate just outside on the north side (presumably the last four used to be within Stangrove Park before development). I wonder whether the two juvenile trees replaced the two original - perhaps because they died? - because we cannot find two more mature ones but we will keep looking! Odd too that one is a Coast Redwood; any ideas? Stray seed? Well done on finding them, I bet you both had great fun with your quest. You could well be right about the two small ones being planted as replacements for two lost ones, but I'm not so sure about the Coast Redwood being one of the twelve, as you say it would be a bit odd but who knows perhaps that's the Judas tree! Someone must have planted it though, it's highly unlikely it grew from a stray seed. Thank you for letting us know about your Redwood hunt.