An old oak known to children as the ‘climbing tree’ has been uprooted during the weekend’s strong winds.
The tree, believed to be more than one hundred years old, had stood in Ormesby village green, next to the children’s play area, but was blown down in the inclement weather as Norfolk was hit by 70mph gusts and heavy rain.
Paul Howard, 53, who lives around the corner, saw the fallen tree on Saturday morning (September 26) while walking with his 10-year-old daughter Ruby.
“It’s sad,” he said. “Of all the trees on the green that’s an iconic tree if you have children, and even if you don’t.
“If you went to the green you could guarantee there would be kids climbing on it or sitting under it.”
He said the tree had one particular branch, jutting out, on which the children would climb and sit.
“Kids would meet under it. You would see a pile of schoolbags beside the tree.”
He said his daughter is “quite sad” about the fallen tree.
MORE: ‘It’s better than flooding’ - Village blasted by sand in high winds counts clean up costKathryn Wendt, chairperson of Ormesby Parish Council, said: “It’s very sad. It was a lovely old stately tree. We’ll have to see about replacing it.
“We are very sorry it’s happened but very pleased no-one was injured and no property was destroyed.
“Thank goodness it was overnight and didn’t happen this morning when children and parents might have been there.
“That would have been a real disaster,” she said.
The tree will be removed by contractors early next week, she added.
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