Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Take a close look in the Back Lane car park in Rochford, and huddled against the Dolphin House building you will see this unexpected delight. Not the prettiest example, this one has suffered the ravages of time. At about second story height the main trunk splits into two. Whether this is the result of a lightning strike many years ago, or the failed attempt by someone to halt the tree's growth I have no idea. The latter may well be the truth, since this tree is only a distance of a metre or two from the building! It has suffered a little, though, over recent years. It looks as though someone has hacked away at the lower branches, seemingly in an attempt to give it the shape of an apple tree! Still, on a more positive note they have removed most of the awful tree-creeping plant that was spoiling the lovely trunk. Nevertheless, it is still a Giant Redwood, and will therefore persevere, and probably outlive us all.
Visit information
- Access
- Open to public
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/rochford.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 Rochford - Back Lane Car Park
About this place
About Rochford - Back Lane Car Park
Rochford - Back Lane Car Park is located in Rochford, 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.