The first identification tree plaque on one of Bath’s most iconic trees has been unveiled by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset.
Unveiling the plaque in Abbey Green | Photo © James Levelle / Bath Urban Treescape
The Bath Urban Treescape project started in 2022 to draw the attention of residents and visitors to the wealth of trees on the streets of the city and encourage them to consider their importance.
Designed by a voluntary team of tree and Bath enthusiasts, a website has been established, with four tree trails through the city supported by free paper maps.
Last year 11,000 of the map leaflets were shared at events, leisure and garden centres, surgeries and parks.
They have received so much positive feedback from different sectors that the group have re-printed a further 8,000 and are going on to launch four further tree trails this year, including one at the Royal United Hospital.
The group are also installing identification plaques on many of the trees featured in the first four trails.
The London plane tree in Abbey Green was selected for the first plaque and is the only one that features on two of the urban tree trails.
The plaque unveiling ceremony was carried out on Tuesday 18th June by Mohammed Saddiq, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset.
Also attending were the Deputy Mayor of Bath Cllr Ruth Malloy and guests including Professor Marion Harney, recently appointed chair of the City of Bath World Heritage Advisory Board and Enhancement Fund, and Ian Gadd, Chair of Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Society.
The Bath Urban Treescape team are grateful to local resident Vaughan Hopkins, from The Street Nameplate Company, who has manufactured and donated the tree plaques to the specification used by Kew Gardens.
