Giant Sequoia Open to public

Broomfield - St Mary's Church

Broomfield, Essex, England

Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. There is one good sized Giant Redwood at St Marys church, Broomfield (just a mile or so north of Chelmsford). There were once two here, but one had to be cut down and a young Giant was planted in 2004 to replace it. There is a nice little collection of trees in the grounds, including a small Dawn Redwood.

Visit information

Access
Open to public
Last verified
10 Apr 2026

Redwood species here

Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.

Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume

Field observations

Photos

  • Redwood at Broomfield - St Mary's Church

About this place

About Broomfield - St Mary's Church

Broomfield - St Mary's Church is located in Broomfield, Essex, England.

Species Present

Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.

Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.

Access

This location appears to be publicly accessible. Please check locally for current opening times and any admission charges.


Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.

Information
Created: 09/04/2026 Last updated: 10/04/2026