New green gateway to Warwick is set to be finished this month

Over the past two years some 40 volunteer wardens have planted 1,500 trees and “whips” stretching from the M40, along Stratford Road and right on into West Street in Warwick.

Originally the wardens expected to plant 2,500 specimens across not only Warwick but Kenilworth and Leamington.

As it turns out the real figure for the district as a whole will be closer to 4,000.

Volunteer wardens like Sarah Ridgeway, Phil Harris, Penny Wright and Veronica Hyland like to think they have left a £10,000 gift to improving one of the main entrances into Warwick.

But all know the benefits of their legacy will be better appreciated as the young trees mature.

It was back in July 2013 that the volunteers secured a grant of £10,326 from the Government’s Big Tree Plant Fund to add to grants and services they had already been promised by local authorities, Severn Trent and other businesses and organisations.

Mrs Wright said: “Last winter saw young trees planted from the Severn Trent site to St Laurence Avenue on Stratford Road in Warwick. This winter has been about reinstating some of the trees in West Street.

“Some of the original specimens date back over 100 years but many were lost either through age or occasional acts of vandalism.”

Even though the Warwick gateway is complete the group will continue to work with local people to help maintain all the trees until they are fully established.

This month planting continues in Kenilworth, Bishops Tachbrook and other parts of the district.