Westfield is very proud to have the Elm Tree that used to live in the heart of its parish as its emblem, and now Elm Trees have returned – with two new trees having been planted recently.

Parishioner, Joan Pack, has carried out research into the history of Westfield and she reports that there once was an old hollow Elm tree, which was said to be haunted.

The tree stood by the road that ran from Exeter to Lincoln, laid down 1,800 years ago by the Romans. Mr Arthur Waugh wrote in his 1875 biography: ’When we took a longer walk, there was an old hollow Elm tree at Westfield, half-way between Norton Down and Radstock coal pits, which all nursery authorities agreed to be haunted.

’The three of us could walk into it upright and gaze straight up to the leaves above.’

Many areas of Westfield are named after this particular tree – Elm Tree Avenue, Elm Terrace, Inner Elm Terrace, the Elm Tree Inn, whose skittle team carried the name, as well as the Elm Tree Football Club.

Unfortunately, due to Dutch Elm disease, the tree had to be removed in the 1970s and the parish of Westfield has had to be without its trademark Elm. Keen to bring it back, the Parish Council has purchased two new trees and is looking forward to taking part in the Great British Elm Experiment. One has been planted at Norton Hill Recreation Ground and the other at Westhill Recreation Ground.

Councillor Fuller, Chair of Westfield Parish Council, said: “Hopefully these trees will grow tall and strong, as they are Westfield’s emblem and in many years to come, we will have big Elm trees in Westfield yet again.”

The experiment is built on the Conservation Foundation’s involvement in propagating, planting and promoting interest in elms. The specialist trees that Westfield has received have been micro-propagated from cuttings taken from healthy parent trees which appear to have resisted Dutch Elm disease for over sixty years.

This is very much an ongoing project and the Parish Council will be monitoring the trees over the next twenty years or so in order that the Conservation Foundation can continue in its efforts to keep the elm trees alive and flourishing. The trees could well end up one day providing cuttings to form another chapter of the Great British Elm story!

Fingers crossed that they remain healthy and Westfield can once again have Elm trees alive in its parish.