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One of Wanstead’s most prominent trees is no longer – it had to be chopped down because of storm damage which made it unsafe.
The enormous cedar at the Shrubbery on Grosvenor Road was at least 15m high and was a familiar landmark across a lot of central Wanstead. Planning officers gave permission for it to be removed because of the risk of branches falling. They did however specify that a replacement tree be planted in its place.
There was a crack in the main stem of the tree, caused by a storm, which meant the weight of the crown could not be supported by the trunk, the council decided.
The Shrubbery is a Grade II listed site. The National Heritage List for England has this verdict on it:
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: The Shrubbery is an attractive group of three apartment blocks of circa 1935 by Cockett, Henderson & Gillow Ltd for the North-East London Property Company Ltd. The exteriors and interior spaces draw on Art Deco style and Moderne streamlining in their design and are thoughtfully conceived. Although some flats have been subject to alteration, the plan-form is largely intact and there are surviving examples of high quality interiors with notable detailing. The Shrubbery is of special interest as an impressive and thoughtful example of an inter-war apartment block development in a modern style.
There is one remaining Cedar on Grosvenor Road, below, which makes one wonder about how old these trees are/were – they can live for hundreds of years. It also raises the somewhat intriguing thought that perhaps Charles Dickens (who owned a property slightly further down the road) might even have seen these young trees.
We NEED ALL OUR TREES! They help cleanse the air which is being so polluted by all these tall tower blocks taking heat & rubbish up into the atmosphere & releasing it through the roof-tops……
Who chopped down all the greenery around Christ Church? The trees, the hedges… BIRDS need hedges to hop about it, as do insects, butterflies, etc…
I live at the Shrubbery and can tell you first hand the tree did not need to be cut down. Purely a lazy cost cutting measure and it was put to a vote by a select few of the Shrubbery ‘RTM’ and none of the residents got a say. The place is a concrete jungle now. Disgraceful.