The Greenwich Meridian
…where east meets west
| Location | England Essex Nazeing |
| N side of: footpath (from Paynes Lane) | |
| Distance (N) from Greenwich | |
| OS map details | OS Explorer: 174 |
| OS grid ref | TL 38129.04926 (538129,204926) |
| WGS84 lat/long | 51.726046, -0.001491 |
| Type | Tree | Plaque (tree) |
| Marking date | 1984 |
| Access | None, but visible from nearby footpath |
Currently viewing images from 10 Aug 2015
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| 10 Aug 2015 | 23 Nov 2011 | 21 Oct 2007 | 24 Apr 2005 |
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 accompanying commemorative plaque, (which had become obscured by foliage in 2007), indicates that this particular tree was one of a number adopted by ‘private organisations, Parish Councils or the general public’.
When the tree was planted, a public footpath ran alongside it. This was later diverted. As a result, the nearest point from which members of the public can see it is about 150 metres away.