Giant tree’s long shadow is cast down the decades
0 Comments | Derby Evening Telegraph, Jun 23, 2010 | by David Feltham
I WAS interested to read the article featuring Elwyn Kitchen, about the cedar of Lebanon tree that stood in the grounds of Bretby Hall for almost 300 years.
The giant tree, more than 80ft tall, was felled in January 1954 after being condemned as unsafe.
The tree had been dead for some time and all hope of preserving any part of it evaporated when it was found that a cone, which had been sent away to be examined, proved to be lifeless.
A friend of mine, who witnessed the felling, was able to obtain a small piece of the timber and was kind enough to pass it on to me a few years ago to keep as a souvenir. I still have it in my possession to this day.
Perhaps I may be allowed to shed some light upon a couple of points raised in Mrs Kitchen’s article.
These were in respect of the chains which held up and supported the flat-topped branches and the superstitions that the fall of a branch foretold the death of a member of the Chesterfield family, who used to own the hall.
The chains were, in fact, used to prevent the wide, flat boughs from breaking under the weight of heavy snowfalls and had absolutely nothing to do with any superstitions.
Legend also declared that anyone who chopped down the tree would be dogged with illluck because the Lebanon was splashed with blood when Lady Margaret Chesterfield jumped to her death from one of the hall’s high towers.
At the time of the felling, it was the intention of the Derby No. 1 Management Committee (Bretby Hall then being an orthopaedic hospital) to save a circular cross-section of the trunk, which was to be displayed in the main hall. A further section was to be offered to Derby Museum but I cannot say whether these sections of timber were ever put on display at either of these sites
cedar sheds