Historic east Leeds tree is shortlisted for '˜tree of the year' award

Nellie’s Tree in Parlington is one of England’s finalists in the contest run by The Woodland Trust.

History has it that nearly 100 years ago, a young Garforth man, Victor Stead, would walk along the old colliery railway to visit his Nellie Mosby, a young lady he was courting who lived in nearby Aberford.

One day, Victor, a miner and keen gardener, came across three beech saplings on his route and grafted one sapling between the other two to form the letter N, for Nellie.

Vic and Nellie would go on to marry and have a family and although they are now both gone, ‘Nellie’s Tree’ still remains and is known as the ‘Love Tree’ by locals. It has also gone on to become a symbol by the Save Parlington Action Group for the protection of the woods against development.

Voting is open until October 8. Visit https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/tree-of-year-2018.