The Half Mile Tree

I love a riverside wander and relish making new discoveries, so I was intrigued as I was walking along the towpath recently. Heading towards Teddington from Kingston, approximately mid-​way between the two, I noticed a blue sign and a fenced-​off tree.
Not the most beautiful tree in the world, perhaps, but thought-​provoking to read the history behind it. As the plaque states, it was the site of an ancient elm (500 years old) that sadly had to be removed in 1951. The next year it was replaced by another (today, a relative youngster at just 57 years old). An interesting landmark, worth looking-​out for, en route to Teddington Weir