Fresh out this week, Bridgwater Town Council has brought out a ‘Treeflet’ – a small booklet which replaces the town guide this year and instead takes you on a history tour of the town  tree by tree. The booklet has been written by Brian Smedley and historian Miles Kerr-Peterson with specialist tree content by horticultural adviser Roy Cheek and evocative photography by Terence Peppin.  Cllr Smedley says ” There are 50 different trees in this book and you can follow a history trail around the town tree by tree learning about not just the fascinating history of our town but also about the trees themselves. In a year when there isn’t going to be much travel in or out of the area it’s a good staycation-treecation option for you. Pick one up now and  pop it in someones Christmas stocking why don’t you!”

The guide can be picked up from the Town Hall or from a couple of shops in town – currently The Sweetbox on Cornhill and Cornhill Records in the Market -but will be more widely available in the new year. People can obtain a Treeflet for a small donation to the ‘Tree Fund’ thus converting paper back to trees.

Also this week Hamp Green Rise has become the first town street to successfully see a ‘Town Tree Fund’ project through from uprooting to replanting. See story here.

You can apply to the Tree Fund by Contacting Town Clerk, David Mears at Bridgwater Town Council email;- townclerk@bridgwater-tc.gov.uk or phone;- 01278 427692

It wasn’t so long ago that the residents of Westover’s Hamp Green Rise boasted the most magnificent avenue of Cherry Trees in the town. Then suddenly an inspection by County Council saw almost all condemned to the axe due to some disease and of course with no chance of replacement as County ‘stopped funding that sort of thing’ in its general quest to stop funding almost ‘any’ kind of thing. Residents were not happy and kicked off big time with a petition and a campaign to ‘stop the rot’-or at least stop the wholesale destruction of trees without replacements. Bridgwater Town Council stepped in, drew a line and set up a tree replacement fund. After a series of summit meetings, voting through a funding policy and quite a long time coming, the trees are back in Hamp Green Rise, funded by Bridgwater Town Council, planted by Clean Surroundings and tended by the residents. “Perfect team work” says Town Council Leader Brian Smedley (Westover) “Now we intend to roll out the scheme across the town and inspire and encourage people to take an interest in their trees, identify areas of need, set up tree support groups and apply for some funding.”

Continue reading “Hamp Green Trees Rise Again”