AN Essex attraction is celebrating the anniversary of the planting of a set of rare trees more than a decade ago.

Markshall Estate in Coggeshall is celebrating 15 years to the day since one of the world’s rarest trees, the Wollemi pine, was planted on site.

Braintree and Witham Times: The trees were planted 15 years ago todayThe trees were planted 15 years ago today (Image: Bryan Shaw)

The Wollemi pine dates from the time of the dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago and were thought to be extinct until September 1994.

There are now less than 100 mature trees in the wild.

Markshall Estate is home to the largest collection of Wollemi pines in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

On Wednesday October 17, 2007, the first of the special collection was planted by Professor Stephen Hopper, the then Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

There is now a grove of them in an area of the arboretum known as Gondwanaland.

Braintree and Witham Times: The Wollemi pine grove in GondwanalandThe Wollemi pine grove in Gondwanaland (Image: Bryan Shaw)

The collection on the estate is important not just aesthetically, but also as a source of information regarding the tree’s habitats, its preferred growing conditions, tolerances and forms.

Wollemi pines also live for an extremely long time, with some of the oldest living trees today are thought to be between 500 and 1,000 years old, meaning the collection at Markshall will be there for many future generations.

Ian Chandler, arboretum manager at Markshall Estate, was there on the day they were first planted.

Braintree and Witham Times: Arboretum Manager Ian Chandler at the Wollemi pines. Stood in the same spot as the photo taken in 2007Arboretum Manager Ian Chandler at the Wollemi pines. Stood in the same spot as the photo taken in 2007 (Image: Bryan Shaw)

He said: “The extraordinary Wollemi pine dates back to the time of the dinosaurs and it was known only through fossil records until 1994.

“This living fossil was thought to be extinct for two million years until a small population was discovered in the Blue Mountains of Australia in 1994 by Australian canyoner David Noble.

“Today, the species is critically endangered and restricted to fewer than 100 trees in Wollemi National Park, eastern Australia.

“This native population was recently threatened by the forest fires which swept across Australia.

Braintree and Witham Times: Markshall Estate Team at the Wollemi pines. Iain King, Robert Page, Becky Stone, Tim Gooch, Nanette Gaskell, Martin Bowers, Emma Willy, Ian Chandler, Warren Lucas and Moose the dog Markshall Estate Team at the Wollemi pines. Iain King, Robert Page, Becky Stone, Tim Gooch, Nanette Gaskell, Martin Bowers, Emma Willy, Ian Chandler, Warren Lucas and Moose the dog (Image: Bryan Shaw)

“At Markshall we have currently 70 - 80 Wollemi pines in Gondwanaland and the plan for the future is to have double this number growing together.

“This will give our visitors a truly unique experience in being able to walk through a Jurassic Forest.”