Shropshire Star

Bypass should be named after oak tree

One of the campaigners who fought to save an ancient oak tree from the path of the bulldozer is urging people to back a campaign for the bypass that could have uprooted it to be named in its honour.

Published
rmer Mervyn Lloyd-Jones, whose family own the land, at The Brimmon Oak tree, off Kerry Road, Newtown

The Brimmon Oak, thought to be 1,000 years old, would have been perilously close to the road and may not have survived work to build the much needed Newtown bypass.

Mervyn Lloyd Jones, on whose land the tree sits, and Rob McBride from Ellesmere, known as 'The Tree Hunter' battled to have the line of the A483 bypass moved to avoid damaging the roots of the Oak.

After discussions with contractors and Welsh Government officials the tree, which became known as the Brimmon Oak, was saved and the route of the trunk road moved.

They have started an online petition to get the bypass named the Newtown Brimmon Oak Bypass but say they would like to have more signatures.

Mr McBride, who is currently walking parts of Offa's Dyke in the hunt for ancient trees, said the petition currently had 171 signatures.

Speaking on his walk in Montgomeryside this week he said: "We want people to keep signing the petition. This is a fantastic tree."

He said he hoped to arrive at the tree, named Welsh and UK Tree of the year in 2016, on his tree hunt along Offa's Dyke next week.

"Please do sign and share petition for the naming of the new road The Newtown Brimmon Oak Bypass."

Mr McBride is creating an online blog as he completes his walk.

"There are some wonderful trees in this area," he said.

The petition on the Welsh Assembly website says: “We the undersigned call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to consider our proposal to officially name the much needed and historic, new road section of the A483, the ‘Newtown Brimmon Oak bypass’.

“In recognition of the enormously positive publicity and attention that one of the most significant ‘Natural Monuments’ of Montgomeryshire, namely the Brimmon Oak, has brought to Newtown, to the region and to Wales.

“Firstly becoming ‘Welsh Tree of the year’, followed by winning the title of ‘UK Tree of the year’ shown on national TV , and ultimately, in being awarded second place in the highly prestigious European Tree of the year contest in a much reported ceremony in the EU Parliament, Brussels.

“We feel that this culturally significant ancient Welsh Oak tree that has now become known throughout Wales, the UK and indeed around the globe be honoured in this ultimately fitting manner.”

In September last year, businessman Peter Webber who owns the company Cellpath, called for the town’s most famous people to be honoured on different parts of the roundabout.

He launched an idea to have statues or sculptures of fashion designer Laura Ashley and Robert Owen on various roundabouts along the route.