Campaigners are fighting plans to chop down an 83-year-old Monterey Cypress tree on Saundersfoot beach in Pembrokeshire, citing its iconic status and historical significance. An application to fell the tree has been submitted to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority by the Beach Court Management Company, which warns of safety risks.
The tree was planted on Scar Rock in January 1938 by George Williams, a coachman groom at the Hean Castle Estate. According to local historical society notes, the Williams family originally used the tree indoors at Christmas before planting it outside when it grew too large. George Williams's great-grandson, Gareth Williams, now living in Worcestershire, described feeling pride in his ancestor's planting.
Local resident Ian Davies, 54, recalls sitting beneath the tree since age ten, writing poetry and music. He said, 'Many a song has been written there... It says something about nature and survival.' Friends of Saundersfoot and District secretary Rowland Williams, 67, added that the tree has been a significant landscape feature for generations.
However, the Beach Court Management Company argues the tree's deteriorating condition poses an 'unacceptably high-level of risk to public safety.' In a statement, it said, 'We are very concerned... someone could be fatally injured if the tree suddenly fails.' The company denies claims that the application is motivated by obstruction of views from flats.
The management company noted that a previous application to fell the tree in 2017 was unsuccessful, and a tree specialist then estimated the tree had at most ten years of life left. While a report commissioned by the Friends of Saundersfoot suggested remedial works could extend its life, no such works have been carried out in four years. The company does not own the rock on which the tree stands.
