October Tree Walk

Fifteen Lee Manor Society members joined our sixth seasonal tree walk on Saturday, October 5, viewing mature and recently planted trees along the Burnt Ash Road avenue and on other local streets.

A wet summer and the absence of strong autumn winds meant trees had kept most of their leaves and there was little autumn colour on this occasion.

A new discovery on the walk was a large tree of heaven on Burnt Ash Road that is seeding onto the car wash site. A popular tree in the early 20th C, it is now regarded as an invasive species. The walk was led by the Society’s two tree champions David Ford and Charles Batchelor. The 2025 spring tree walk will take in the rich variety of trees in Manor House Gardens.

Charles Batchelor and a tree of heaven
David Ford explaining the origins of Mary Donovan’s garden near the Burnt Ash Road car wash, The garden is being moved because of the Leegate development, to the junction of Burnt Ash and Taunton Roads.