Sturminster Newton - St Mary's church (Dorset)

Click on the photograph for a closer look Dawn Redwood in adjacent back garden

A visit was paid to see this Giant Redwood thanks to the mention of a Wellingtonia behind St. Mary's church on the Dorset Online Parish Clerks website. A fabulous tree, it has obviously not been crowded by other trees during its growth, so its lush foliage extends right to the ground like a grand cloak. This is one of the great things about these trees, they look superb with branches extending to the ground, but equally stunnning when their trunk is exposed displaying the rich cinnamon-coloured bark and graceful yet sturdy buttress shape. As the photograph shows, the lower branches really do have a peculiar pre-historic feel about them when you stand within the foliage amongst their downward arching shapes. You have to be there to get the full effect! As a bonus, in a garden adjacent to the churchyard stands a relatively young Dawn Redwood.

Common Names and Latin Name	No.	Latitude and Longitude		OS National Grid	Elevation (above sea-level)	Height	Girth	Date Measured
		WGS84	OSGB36
Giant Redwood Sequoiadendron giganteum	1	N50.92442 W2.30256	N50.92388 W2.30123	ST 78831 13929	51ft (15.55m)	33.6m	7.06m	Sep 2011
Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostrobodies	2	N50.92484 W2.30299	N50.92430 W2.30166	ST 78801 13976	39ft (11.89m)	15.5m	--	Sep 2011
Girth was measured at 1.5 metres from ground