A very fitting tribute to Charley, who died as the result of a tragic accident in 2019, has been installed at the bridlepath Jagger Lane in Richmond. At the entrance to the Silver Hill Woodland, a 47ha area of new woodland planted at the beginning of 2020 for Zetland Estates, now sits an oak memorial bench for Charley, son of our Forestry Manager Shaun.

As well as the bench, our forestry team also planted 27 giant redwood trees along the woodland edge of Jagger Lane, to commemorate Charley’s age when he died. Many of the people who worked for the Estate, and on this project to plant nearly 90,000 trees, knew Charley and worked alongside him. So, to create the giant redwood avenue and install the bench has proved a fitting and comforting legacy to us all.

We’d also like to give a special mention and huge thanks to Paul Grainger, a green oak specialist from Masham, who donated the bench for this tribute which is very close to our hearts.

As a family, the Purkiss-McEndoo’s hope that anyone using the bridlepath can take a moment to reflect and enjoy the location of the bench for themselves, not just because of Charley.

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