At approximately 11.30pm on Sunday night, Ledbury Fire Station attended a tree fire in Eastnor, near Eastnor Castle.
The tree was well alight when crews attended and unfortunately it was not possible to extinguish quickly. Great efforts were made by the crew from Ledbury and also by a crew from Upton Fire Station. The crews ran out hose approximately 120metres and used an appliance to shuttle water to and from the incident all through the night. Foam was also used to blanket the tree in great efforts to save it.
The once magnificent tree in question is a very well known and admired tree called The White Leaved Oak. Locals people have said that this tree is visited by people from all over the world and plays a large part in the rituals of Druids. The White Leaved Oak is thought to be around 500 years old and is featured on many websites and books.
The cause of the fire is unknown, however fire crews are asking people to please be careful when visiting the countryside, especially when visiting somewhere that is as sacred or precious as this place was to many people.
