By Isle of Wight ObserverAn unusual, three legged, Island tree has been shortlisted for a national award.
‘The Quarr Abbey Oak’ is in the running for the Woodland Trust’s annual ‘Tree of The Year’ competition and needs public votes to win.
The aim of the competition is to put the spotlight on the nation’s best trees and create interest and awareness in their value and protection.
The tree can be found growing amongst the medieval Cistercian ruins at Quarr Abbey, Ryde and can be seen from the public bridleway.
Whittled down from hundreds of public nominations, the Quarr Oak is one of only ten trees that has now met the grade to be shortlisted. It is the only contender from the Island to have made the list.
The Woodland Trust have been very secretive of this final list, but now, all of the trees have been revealed.
The voting started on Monday (September 17) and the closing date is the October 7, so not long to vote for this tree.
The competition is backed by TV gardener David Domoney and he explained: “The Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year contest is a fantastic way to get us all talking about trees and what they do for us. So let’s celebrate the best. Vote for your favourite on the Woodland Trust’s website to crown England’s Tree of the Year for 2018.”
David adds: “The process is simple – the tree with the most votes wins. As well as putting the nation’s best trees on the map, the awards – supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery – offer a £1000 tree care award for each winning tree.”
A brief history of the tree concludes that the now ruined Quarr Abbey, founded in 1132, housed a group of Cistercian monks until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1536.
The abbey was destroyed, but through the remains of the infirmary grew an oak tree. The oak has three trunks, which join together to form a natural archway, mimicking the old infirmary window next to it.
The oak has even grown up and around the last remnants of a stone wall, surrounding the masonry and slowly occluding the stones as it grows.
The Abbey of Our Lady of Quarr was built nearby at the beginning of the 20th century and is still a working monastery of the Benedictine order.
Remember there’s not long to vote.
Voting can take place on the Woodland Trust’s website at woodlandtrust.org.uk/treeoftheyear.
