The Greenwich Meridian
…where east meets west
| Location | England Essex Waltham Abbey |
| W side of: Meridian Walk (Cornmill Meadows, Lee Valley Park) | |
| Distance (N) from Greenwich | |
| OS map details | OS Explorer: 174 |
| OS grid ref | TL 38211.01737 (538211,201737) |
| WGS84 lat/long | 51.697370, -0.001568 |
| Type | Tree |
| Marking date | 1984 |
| Access | Unrestricted. Felled c.2015. Stump still present |
Currently viewing images from 23 Nov 2011
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19 Apr 2017 | 23 Nov 2011 | 21 Oct 2007 |
In 1984, in the run up to the Meridian’s ‘centenary celebrations’, Epping Forest District Council stated their intention to plant 20 western red cedars at sites identified for them by the Ordnance Survey. They actively encouraged other authorities to plant commemorative trees too. Western red cedars were chosen because their large size at maturity (50 to 60 metres) would mean that they would stand out from others around them and be highly visible. A small ceremony took place at each planting site on 13 October 1984. We have no record of where the 20 trees were planted. Seven planting sites (including this one) were located between 2005–07. The two most northerly sites have commemorative plaques and it seems likely that this tree once also had one. This particular tree was felled in around 2015, probably as a result of being partially toppled during a storm. The trunk however remains as a marker of where it was planted.