High Wycombe - Hughenden Park (Buckinghamshire)

Thanks to Steve who sent these photographs of the four (correct number yet to be confirmed) Giant Redwoods at Hughenden Park. Steve says, "I've been trying to discover how they got there - I assume that, as the park is part of the estate of Hughenden Manor, that they were planted by Benjamin Disraeli's gardeners when planting redwoods was de rigeur." Hughenden Manor is a Georgian mansion that was indeed once the home of the Victorian statesman and Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli. The Disraelis purchased it in 1848 when they carried out alterations to the building, it was probably around that time the trees were planted. The English Heritage site have a photograph of the Manor House dated 1878 - the young tree to the left of the picture looks very much like a Giant Redwood. During the Second World War, Hughenden Manor was used as a secret intelligence base code-named "Hillside" and it was given to the National Trust in 1947. Access to the 25 hectares park is from either Hughenden Road (where there is a small car park) or Coates Lane.