Commemorative tree planting

Tree planting is a traditional method of marking special occasions and there have been many such events in and around Bourne over the centuries, both national and local. Unfortunately, it is difficult to identify them all because records have not been maintained over the years.

¬ One of the earliest was the planting of a giant sequoia or Wellingtonia in the churchyard to mark the death of the Duke of Wellington in 1852. He was a distinguished soldier and famous public figure during the early 19th century when he also became Prime Minister and his earlier victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 prompted widespread rejoicing throughout the land. The giant sequoia had only recently been introduced into Britain but began appearing at many locations around the country. The planting in Bourne would therefore have been a popular event and the tree has since reached massive proportions as a reminder of the occasion.

¬ The public recreation ground in Recreation Road was established in June 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V and this open space is surrounded by trees placed there to mark the occasion although those along the western boundary died soon afterwards and were replanted by Bourne Urban District Council.

¬ The trees and shrubs around the Abbey Lawn celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in May 1935 and there was also a move to plant new trees around the town to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953 when a fund was opened to pay for them and residents were invited "to subscribe to this worthy endeavour to improve the approaches to the town" but the idea did not come to fruition.

¬ Three other trees with a pedigree do still exist, one at the entrance to the Abbey Lawn where a flowering cherry was planted in 1965 by Councillor John Grummitt, chairman of Bourne Urban District Council, when Bourne was judged to be the best kept small town in the Kesteven area of Lincolnshire.

¬ A lime tree was also placed alongside the river in the War Memorial Gardens when Bourne won for a second time in 1978 and town and district councillor John Smith, who was then Mayor of Bourne, wielded the spade for the ceremony in March the following year (pictured above).

¬ At the same time, a mulberry tree was planted nearby by Councillor Lloyd Ramsden, chairman of South Kesteven District Council, and financed by the local committee that had organised Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee celebrations the previous year.

¬ A tree was planted in 1980 to mark the Queen Mother's 80th birthday in the grounds of Bourne County Secondary School by acting headmaster, Louis Decamp, accompanied by the acting deputy headmaster Percy Wilson, school governor Lorenzo Warner and Mrs J Burchnell, chairman of the governors, together with fifth year pupils.

¬ The biggest commemorative tree project of recent times was Diana's Glade just off the main footpath through Bourne Wood where twenty small oak trees were planted in January 1999 by the Friends of Bourne Wood organisation as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who died tragically in a car accident in 1997. This attractive spot remains a favourite with many of the 150,000 thousand people who visit the woods each year.

¬ Another major planting scheme was planned in 1999 to celebrate the millennium but was eventually abandoned because of legal difficulties. The Woodland Trust sought local support to purchase 25 acres of land at Milking Nook Drove off the Spalding Road to the east of Bourne for a wood of 10,000 trees, one for each member of the population as it was then. The cost was estimated at £100,000 and although money had already been promised through donations and grants from local authorities there were problems over the purchase of the land and of establishing a right of way with the result that in June that year, the project was finally scrapped.

¬ Another tree, this time an oak, was planted on the western edge of the Wellhead Gardens by Bourne United Charities to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 but unfortunately this was vandalised by children and did not survive.

¬ There has been another important tree project in recent years when a number of rowans were planted between 2003-07 along the grass verges in North Road to establish an Avenue of Trees and although this was an environmental project by the Rotary Club of Bourne, it was later dedicated to one of the members, John Roy Bentley, who thought of the idea but died in January 2006, aged 76, before the work was completed and a commemorative plaque was erected nearby.

¬ A small community orchard was planted on the edge of Bourne Wood in February 2012 to commemorate the life of Mike Barnsdale, an enthusiastic volunteer who died the previous August. The 12 apple saplings were donated by his partner, Wendy Morris, and the tree ties, fertiliser and matting were given by Waterside Garden Centre. The project was organised by the Friends of Bourne Wood at a site close to the Beech Avenue entrance rented from the Forestry Commission and the orchard is to be extended in the coming years with the involvement of local schools and businesses. Paths and other areas will also be laid together with a hedge around the perimeter.

¬ An anonymous gift enabled the planting of a new hedgerow alongside a field on the outskirts of Bourne in the spring of 2012. The donation of £500 was made to the Len Pick Trust with the request that it be spent to provide some form of long term enhancement to the natural environment in the area. The trustees decided that the money should be used to pay for the planting of a row of forty trees comprising mixed lime and cherry alongside the field edge of land in Mill Drove owned by the trust.

¬ An oak tree was planted on Wednesday 16th May 2012 at the Jubilee Meadow, an extension to the Wellhead Gardens, to mark Queen Elizabeth's II's Diamond Jubilee. The planting was carried out by the Mayor of Bourne, Councillor Brenda Johnson, with trustees of Bourne United Charities and members of the town council in attendance.

¬ Sixty trees were planted around the playing field at Twenty, near Bourne, on Sunday 27th May 2012 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, one for each year she has reigned. A further 15 were planted behind the village hall. The trees were donated by Bourne Town Council and the work was carried out by villagers including many children. David Johnson, a trustee of the village hall committee which organised the planting, said that it was essential to have the children involved. He added: "If they stay in the village they will be able to watch them grow and in years to come explain to their own children how and why they were planted."

¬ A commemorative tree was planted in the grounds of Browning Court, the residential care flats in Manning Road, on Thursday 7th June 2012 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee by the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Tony Worth who was accompanied by his wife, Jenny. The planting had been suggested by the oldest resident, Mrs Betty Giles, who is 95, and a blue spruce was chosen after a vote among everyone who lives there. "They wanted a permanent reminder of the royal occasion", explained the manager, Lindsay Bishop.

¬ An apple tree was planted by members of Bourne Garden Club on Saturday 23rd February 2013 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The site chosen was the community orchard being established by the Friends of Bourne Wood in a field adjoining the wood near the Beech Avenue entrance. The orchard will be maintained organically and is expected to provide a habitat for wildlife. A wildflower meadow is also being created.

PHOTO ALBUM
Diana's Glade in Bourne Wood (above). The giant sequoia in the churchyard is pictured below together with the Abbey Lawn sign relating to tree planting and that of the Rotary Club of Bourne in North Road.
Tree planting at the Jubilee Meadow in May 2012 with the Mayor of Bourne, Councillor Brenda Johnson (left), Trevor Hollinshead, chairman of the trustees, Bourne United Charities, and Councillor Helen Powell, deputy mayor.
The Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Tony Worth, planting a blue spruce at Browning Court in June 2012 with moral support from Joan Jacobs and Betty Giles.
A commemorate apple tree in the community orchard near Bourne Wood in February 2013 with Bourne Garden Club members Jackie Stevenson and Susan Hadfield and Brian Salmon from the Friends of Bourne Wood.
A medlar tree was planted in the community orchard on the edge of Bourne Wood on Friday 4th September 2015 by members of Nubourne Women's Institute to celebrate their centenary. After the planting, the president, Mrs Janet Turner, proposed a toast to past achievements and the future of the W I and members then enjoyed a picnic followed by a guided tour of the orchard by Sarah Roberts, a W I member and also secretary of the Friends of Bourne Wood.

See also Tree planting over the years