Calne's Twinning Trees
In 2000, three indian bean trees (Catalpa bignonioides) were planted to celebrate the friendship between Calne and its three twins: Caln Township, Charlieu, and Eningen unter Achalm. Here's a bit about the trees and where to find them.
The indian bean tree is a native of the southeastern United States, but has been a popular tree for town centres in England for over 100 years due to its ability to absorb dirt and dust - so a great choice for Curzon Street where there is a lot of traffic. The RHS has awarded this species their Award of Garden Merit along with their Perfect for Pollinators designation. The tree displays large ovate leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers that are white with coloured stripes and blotches on the inside. Later in the year, the pendulous bean pods appear, green at first and turning brown as the year progresses to winter. I find this to be a very decorative tree, that provides year round interest and a cool place to shelter in the summer sun.
History
Eric Porter, during his time as Mayor of Calne, first noticed the Indian Bean Tree when visiting Charlieu (Calne's first twinned town). He put the idea of planting these trees to the Council and Twinning Association, who agreed that this was a good idea. Spaces were available in the town centre and Market Hill, so the trees were planted there in 2000.
Many thanks to Miriam Trotman for this information.
The Indian Bean Tree
The Art
The cast-iron tree grills were designed by David Reeves and feature these wonderful squirrels. Unfortunately only the Calne-Charlieu tree on Market Hill retains its grill as the trunks of the other two trees have outgrown theirs. Where the redundant grills are now, I don't know, but would like to.
The slate lettering was designed by Caroline Webb.
The seating was made by Alan Tilbury and the design reflects the proximity to the river Marden. The bench seats are made from Iroko, a hardwood that is native to the west coast of tropical Africa, it is known to live for 500 years. The seats are around the Caln and Eningen trees as well as placed near the library, as seen below.
The Tree Locations
Calne - Charlieu Tree, Market Hill
Calne - Eningen unter Achalm Tree, outside the Lansdowne Strand Hotel
Calne - Caln Tree, outside Bank House
To find out more about Calne and its twin towns, check out the Calne and District Twinning Association Facebook page by clicking here.
This post was originally posted on the Calne Past and Present site.