The Nearly There Trees

On a rainy day like today I dream of sunshine in Cornwall and the expectant journey there. Which brings me to remember the Nearly There (or Nearly Home) Trees at Lifton, just before the dip in the A30 that takes you over the Tamar and into the Cornish homeland.

Seeing them from afar always, with one eye on the road, I’d assumed they were fir trees and marked an ancient burial ground, examples of which you can see all over the UK.

But on closer inspection, (and a bit of googling) I discover they are beech trees (so losing their leaves around now) and only reckoned to be just over 100 years old.

Jo Maynard, of the family who bought the trees and surrounding estate in the 1970s says,

“These trees were planted by the Lifton Park estate with the intention of using them as game cover (around 1910). They were originally planted with beech in the middle and then they were surrounded by fir trees and then with laurel in the understory. But all that remains is the circle of beech trees.”

So not quite as romantic a story as you might imagine, particularly the version that says the trees were planted in a heart shape by the owner of the land as a memorial to his late wife.

But still they are a much loved landmark, and a welcome sight as you speed on into the homeland.