Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Thanks to Jim for the information and photograph of this unusual Giant Redwood in Essex. Jim says " I may have a new sighting and pictures that you may be interested in (Great Warley Essex). It's a wellingtonia with four very large saplings surrounding the main tree. Great Warley is next to Little Warley where I read on your site about a Victorian lady possibly planting the Wellingtonia in Upminster , maybe she planted this one aswell! The tree is by an old country house originally called Coombe Lodge built in 1868, so I suppose it was probably planted then along with a fine cedar of lebannon the other side of the grounds. The house was apparently owned at one time by a relative of Mr. Heinz and the Krays. Now the building is currently a care home where I work. The tree is just on the verge of Foxburrow woods. There is another wellingtonia in the heart of the woods but when I went searching for it again with my camera I could not find it. I'm no expert on trees but do have a great interest, it seems to me the main tree was planted on quite a big mound so when the roots spread outwards the saplings must have just reached the surface and upshooted. The grounds are well above sea level, so when this tree does come of age I'm sure it will be seen from miles around. " A recent visit proved how difficult it was to find the second tree in the woods (shown in the right hand picture above), luckily Jim was on hand to point the way! The four "children" around the main tree ranged in girth from 1.53m - 2.8m. One of them is nearly as tall as the main stem. There are several other examples of this strange phenomenon, some also with roots exposed (or are they branches?), at Cambridge University Botanical Gardens , Shalstone Manor and Audley End . Common Names and Latin Name
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- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/greatwarley.htm
Redwood species here
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
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Redwood at Great Warley - The Squirrels Care Centre
About this place
About Great Warley - The Squirrels Care Centre
Great Warley - The Squirrels Care Centre is located in Great Warley, 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.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.