Colchester - Castle Park (Essex)

Dawn Redwood in Autumn and Summer colours

Giant Redwood

Castle Park is laid out around the old castle in Colchester, near the town centre. There are many well laid out flower beds, and a wide range of trees can be seen. Most important, of course, is the young Giant Redwood, which is shown next to the house above. There is also a superb Dawn Redwood which stands near the Putting Green. The top left hand photograph shows it in its Autumn colour, the leaves having turned a deep orange. The year this was taken was not a great Autumn for the Dawn Redwood, Will Jenkins (Park Ranger) said that in other years the orange has been far more vivid. One type of Redwood the park did not have was a Coast Redwood. In November 2005, however, with the help of Will, I planted one that I had grown from seed and which stood at a height of 1.78m at 2 years old.

Coast Redwood

Job Done!    Then my Dad inspects the growth rate three months later!

Will sent this photograph in March 2007 - now about 8ft high

Nearly three years after planting it is 18ft high in October 2008

Nearly four years after planting it is 22ft high in October 2009

Redwood World grows its first tree big enough to support a squirrel! (2009)

Tony took the above photograph in November 2011

Common Names and Latin Name	No.	Latitude and Longitude		OS National Grid	Elevation (above sea-level)	Height	Girth	Date Measured
		WGS84	OSGB36
Giant Redwood, Wellingtonia Sequoiadendron giganteum	1	N51.89239 E0.90210	N51.89191 E0.90384	TL 99791 25518	37ft (11.28m)	14.8m 10.9m	2.04m 1.71m	October 2011 June 2006
Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides	2	N51.89203 E0.90454	N51.89154 E0.90625	TL 99958 25483	80ft (24.39m)	19.5m	2.05m	July 2009
Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens	3	N51.89421 E0.90499	N51.89373 E0.90673	TL 99981 25728	41ft (12.5m)	8.05m 6.7m 5.5m 2.6m 1.78m	0.61m 0.4m 0.3m -- --	October 2011 October 2009 October 2008 March 2007 June 2006
Girth was measured at 1.5 metres from ground