Row erupts over historic garden 'vandalism' (From Free Press Series)

Row erupts over historic garden 'vandalism'

MONMOUTH'S historic Nelson Garden has been attacked by a pensioner wielding a chain saw.

Five mature conifer trees were hacked down recently without the authority of committee that look after the garden or Monmouthshire County Council.

A council investigation has begun but Jack Roocroft is unrepentant and said that he was asked to fell the trees by two members of the committee as the conifers were not part of the garden's layout in 1802 and were no longer in good health.

He said: "The trees which were felled were Cupressus, some of them 80 feet high, and a closer examination of them proved what I had suspected, that they had rotted from the centre and were a hazard.

"The Nelson Garden is horticulturally uninspiring, but is resonant with the memory of our great national hero. It is Monmouth's shrine to one of the greatest warriors our Island has ever produced.

"It would be a fitting tribute to a great man to plant an oak tree next year as part of the Trafalgar celebrations - or even an acorn."

The almost hidden garden in the centre of Monmouth takes its name from the time when Lord Nelson is reputed to have taken coffee and relaxed with Lady Llangattock in the garden following a civic reception in his honour at the Beaufort Arms Hotel.

The garden, is situated behind the Lloyds TSB bank building in Monnow Street, and is cared for by The Nelson Garden Committee.

The group's chairman Charles Smart said: "Several trees in the garden were felled recently without the express consent of the Committee.

"We are concerned about the impact this has had both in the garden and with local residents and we've referred the incident to Monmouthshire County Council who is considering what action needs to be taken.

The council's tree officer, George Weston said: "The Nelson Garden is within a conservation area and as such any plans to fell a tree within this area requires six weeks notice in writing under the Town and Country Planning Act.

"And as we didn't receive any notification, we are mounting an investigation to find out why the trees were chopped down to form the basis of a prosecution."

The garden is open to the public on a limited number of occasions throughout the year since work began on it to restore it twelve years ago.

It is hoped that the garden can once again be full of blossoms to help celebrate next year's 200th anniversary of the admiral's famous victory at Trafalgar.

Mr Smart added: "We will certainly be looking a increasing the planting in the garden.

"We can't be too precise as there are no detailed records what was in the garden at the time of Nelson's visit, but we do have a catalogue of what was available at the time and from it we can make an informed guess."