Page 5 - Leighton News May 2016
P. 5
5
What’s the Connection Between
Girl with a Pearl Earring and Leighton Redwoods?
In the recent Women’s Institute they were first discovered by the plant
magazine there is an interview
with the author Tracy Chevalier hunters), to grace John Naylor’s
(author of Girl with a Pearl
Earring), timed to coincide with showplace estate.
publication of her latest novel
called At the Edge of the Orchard. The Giant Redwoods
She said it was “partly inspired by
a visit to Leighton Hall near (Sequoiadendron
Welshpool.”
giganteum) on the
Well, that was at least one copy
sold on the first day! It’s a story of hard times in 19th Leighton estate are
century America, mainly Ohio and California. According
to the Author’s Notes it was inspired by research for a also called Giant
previous novel, a book on the history of apples, and her
love of trees. She “kept remembering one of the most Sequoias or
surprising tree experiences” she’d ever had. Over 20 Giant Redwood Wellingtonias. Both
years ago she was staying in mid Wales and heard about Coastal Redwood
the Charles Ackers Redwood Grove near Offa’s Dyke.
She went to see it and was intrigued by these Californian redwoods are doing well in the very
trees in a British forest. She later visited the Coast
different climate of Leighton, but because of their
extraordinary height they are susceptible to losing their
tops from lightening strikes.
John Naylor’s Redwood Grove was bought by Charles
Ackers in 1931, and he donated it to the Royal Forestry
Society in 1957 for safe-keeping in their expert care.
Their honorary warden David Williams,MBE is a good
friend to Leighton and the Leighton News. Membership
of the Royal Forestry Society is open to everyone.
AM
Redwoods in California, and went further inland to Tracy Chevalier was born in the US
see the Giant Sequoias (of which there are also many in but now lives mainly in the UK.
Leighton) which were first discovered by non- Many of her novels are set in
indigenous people in 1852 at Calaveras Grove in the Britain and Europe. David Williams
Sierra Nevada Mountains, and which soon became a remembers talking to her about
tourist attraction. the Leighton Redwoods long before
her latest novel.
The Redwood Grove at David also told us about the world’s tallest Redwood
Leighton which gave her the on the Pacific Coast of California measuring a
inspiration for part of the massive 116 metres (380 feet) thought to be
novel is a collection of somewhere between 500 - 700 year’s old. Wardens
Coast Redwoods (Sequoia there are cagey about identifying the actual tree in
sempervirens), which came case souvenir hunters try to cut out samples. Back in
in pots from California in Leighton the Charles Acker grove is a mere 80 year’s
the 1850’s (very soon after old but interestingly its tallest tree is already 50% of
the height of the US
record breaker.
There is a good YouTube
video with David and
Will Jones talking about
the Leighton Redwoods
and their potential value
as a crop. Online readers
can click this link to view.
Redwood Picture credits:
Front cover by Ilyan (who we haven’t managed to
contact) and this page by Ron Levy who runs a very
comprehensive web site and database at:
www.redwoodworld.co.uk — well worth a visit.
What’s the Connection Between
Girl with a Pearl Earring and Leighton Redwoods?
In the recent Women’s Institute they were first discovered by the plant
magazine there is an interview
with the author Tracy Chevalier hunters), to grace John Naylor’s
(author of Girl with a Pearl
Earring), timed to coincide with showplace estate.
publication of her latest novel
called At the Edge of the Orchard. The Giant Redwoods
She said it was “partly inspired by
a visit to Leighton Hall near (Sequoiadendron
Welshpool.”
giganteum) on the
Well, that was at least one copy
sold on the first day! It’s a story of hard times in 19th Leighton estate are
century America, mainly Ohio and California. According
to the Author’s Notes it was inspired by research for a also called Giant
previous novel, a book on the history of apples, and her
love of trees. She “kept remembering one of the most Sequoias or
surprising tree experiences” she’d ever had. Over 20 Giant Redwood Wellingtonias. Both
years ago she was staying in mid Wales and heard about Coastal Redwood
the Charles Ackers Redwood Grove near Offa’s Dyke.
She went to see it and was intrigued by these Californian redwoods are doing well in the very
trees in a British forest. She later visited the Coast
different climate of Leighton, but because of their
extraordinary height they are susceptible to losing their
tops from lightening strikes.
John Naylor’s Redwood Grove was bought by Charles
Ackers in 1931, and he donated it to the Royal Forestry
Society in 1957 for safe-keeping in their expert care.
Their honorary warden David Williams,MBE is a good
friend to Leighton and the Leighton News. Membership
of the Royal Forestry Society is open to everyone.
AM
Redwoods in California, and went further inland to Tracy Chevalier was born in the US
see the Giant Sequoias (of which there are also many in but now lives mainly in the UK.
Leighton) which were first discovered by non- Many of her novels are set in
indigenous people in 1852 at Calaveras Grove in the Britain and Europe. David Williams
Sierra Nevada Mountains, and which soon became a remembers talking to her about
tourist attraction. the Leighton Redwoods long before
her latest novel.
The Redwood Grove at David also told us about the world’s tallest Redwood
Leighton which gave her the on the Pacific Coast of California measuring a
inspiration for part of the massive 116 metres (380 feet) thought to be
novel is a collection of somewhere between 500 - 700 year’s old. Wardens
Coast Redwoods (Sequoia there are cagey about identifying the actual tree in
sempervirens), which came case souvenir hunters try to cut out samples. Back in
in pots from California in Leighton the Charles Acker grove is a mere 80 year’s
the 1850’s (very soon after old but interestingly its tallest tree is already 50% of
the height of the US
record breaker.
There is a good YouTube
video with David and
Will Jones talking about
the Leighton Redwoods
and their potential value
as a crop. Online readers
can click this link to view.
Redwood Picture credits:
Front cover by Ilyan (who we haven’t managed to
contact) and this page by Ron Levy who runs a very
comprehensive web site and database at:
www.redwoodworld.co.uk — well worth a visit.
