Historic oak tree’s legacy preserved for years to come

Works to preserve a historic oak tree’s legacy in Ruthin has recently been completed.

The veteran oak tree is believed to have stood in Cae Ddôl for over 500 years and was widely admired by visitors to the park for generations before it was brought down by Storm Darragh in 2024.

However, after the completion of a recent project that looked to preserve the tree’s legacy, residents and visitors can once again admire the oak tree in its new form at the park.

Following its collapse to Storm Darragh, the council’s tree team commissioned local arborist Stephen Faherty to sculpt the trunk into a seating nook for passers-by to admire its impressive size and stature, whilst its large limbs were crafted into unique benches to create a new seating area.

Stephen Faherty said:

“It was a pleasure to be asked by Denbighshire County Council to work on this project. As someone who lived in the area, I understand how important the tree is to the community of Ruthin.

“With this project it was important to create something that would bring the community together as well as pay tribute to the historic tree that once stood.

“The inspiration for the project was taken from the position that the oak had fallen following the storm, with the benches surrounding the trunk emphasizing the sheer size of the tree”.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said:

“We understand how significant the old oak tree was to Cae Ddôl and are pleased with how the project has preserved its legacy for generations to come. We hope that by using the former oak’s timber to create an area on the same site it will allow visitors to maintain a connection with the old tree.

“I would like to thank the council’s tree team and Stephen for their hard work in completing this project and I hope that the community of Ruthin can now begin creating new memories in this new community space”.