The Monkey Puzzle Tree.

The Monkey Puzzle Tree.

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I don’t suppose the owners of the house where this Monkey Puzzle Tree stands knows the history behind it.

It was planted by William Turner Gray Hatch who at that time owned “The Widbrook Nurseries”, where Sutton Close is now located in March 1930.

He planted it there to mark the arrival into the Hatch family of one James Hatch. Yes that was planted there to mark my birth 81 years ago.

There was another Monkey Puzzle tree, which use to stand in the garden next door to the Forge, I believe that it was removed in the mid 1950’s. That tree was very close I am sure to being 200 years old.

They are called a Monkey Puzzle due to the sharp thorny foliage that would even prevent a monkey from climbing it.