A Day Out at Kew Gardens, with Barron's Tree transporter

Our mighty Cedar of Lebanon, centre of the lawn, Betley Court

 Right in the middle of the large lawn at Betley Court, we have what I suppose you might call a horticultural celebrity, in the shape of a handsome Cedar of Lebanon tree.  It is one of my favourite trees in the gardens. This fine Cedrus libani was planted by William Barron, The Great Tree Mover when he redesigned this part of the grounds at Betley Court in 1866. He earned his nick-name for one particular skill he excelled at; his ability to dig up and move mature trees without killing them. Even today, with the use of modern equipment (such as a Glendale ‘Tree Spade’) it is both expensive and difficult. However, back in the 1800s, Barron perfected a way of giving his wealthy clients the mature gardens they desired within their lifetimes, using man and horse-power, and a clever piece of kit he devised himself; Barron’s Tree Transporter.

After a few hours’ internet research, I discovered that one of these machines still existed – the last one in the world! And it was in the collection of no less an institution than the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew. Kat Harrington, an archivist at the Herbarium, put me in touch with Tony Hall, manager of the arboretum and gardens, who in turn put me in touch with Kevin Martin the Arboricultural Manager.

That’s how Nigel & I came to be on a train down to London last week, on our way to meet Kevin and see Barron’s Tree Transporter. In retrospect, we should’ve asked Kevin to wear a carnation in his lapel when we arranged to meet outside the Orangery restaurant. Nigel approached several strangers asking them, ‘are you Kevin?’ only to be met with confused stares, although one guy replied with a twinkle in his eye, ‘oh, but I wish that I was!’

We located Kevin eventually, and I’m glad we had him as our guide. We would never have found our way to the arboricultural workshops otherwise. And anyway, as our quarry, Barron’s Tree Transporter is not in the public collection, we had effectively been granted a private viewing. Kevin took us to an unprepossessing modern workshop building, located behind Kew’s vast steaming compost heaps (I got gardener’s envy, I can tell you). Hidden inside, at the back, there it was, a huge oak, cart-like machine, probably 7 feet high with wooden-spoked wheels with iron rims. Kevin explained that once the tree transporter had been retired from active service at Kew, it had been used as a prop outside the restaurant. Then it had languished in an open-sided barn, suffering extensive rotting on one side, until Tony Kirkham, Head of the Arboretum, recognising its historical importance, raised funds to restore it to working order.

The restoration was a big undertaking. Only one wheel could be salvaged, and tradesmen where commissioned to remake much of the cart. The sophisticated metal steering assembly was cleaned and greased back to life.

 page from my journal on the day

A machine like this one had once moved our majestic Cedar of Lebanon to its present spot, and what a clever bit of engineering it is. The oak wheels are soaked before use ensuring a tight fit with the iron rims. If you look at it unloaded, the wheels splay out at a funny angle. This makes sense when you understand that Barron’s design allowed for not only the weight of a mature tree, but the huge amount of root ball and soil required to ensure the tree did not die when moved. Once loaded, the wheels ease into an upright position. Barron knew that trees suffered less stress when transported upright, and the cart’s design allows for parts to be uncoupled, reassembled around the tree, then jacked up and secured onto the wheels.  

Trees like our cedar were selected, then trundled to their new home, upright, the safest way to avoid stressing the tree. The Tree Transporter was then used in reverse to lower the tree into a pre-prepared hole, keeping stress to a minimum. The relocation of trees must have been quite a sight, as trees are known to have been moved up to 20 kilometres. to their new homes.  I’m left wondering where Barron acquired Betley Court’s cedar from? Were Betley villagers treated to the curiosity of a large tree passing their cottages at a carthorse’s pace in 1866? That must've been quite a sight!

Barron's Tree Transporter

 

Steering assembly

Winching equipment

Kevin demonstrating how it worked