Birthday oak reborn as carved owl

Mar 20 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

AN oak planted to celebrate the birth of a child has been reborn as an artwork carving.

The tree was planted in 1892 by Lady Winifreda Watson-Armstrong to mark the safe delivery of her son, William John Montagu, who was to go on to become the 2nd Baron Armstrong of Bamburgh and Cragside.

But the tree at the National Trust’s Cragside estate in Northumberland was badly damaged by high winds last autumn.

Rather than cut the entire tree down and lose an important link with Cragside’s past, head gardener Alison Pringle decided to leave a 15ft high section and have it turned into a new focal point for the garden overlooking the estate’s parkland and Simonside Hills.

Now an owl has been created from the stump by award-winning tree sculptor and artist Tommy Craggs, from Consett in County Durham, who used a chain saw.

Alison said: “It seemed wrong for the tree to be taken out completely as it has survived for over a century and had been planted as an acorn by Lady Winifreda to mark a very emotive event in her life – the birth of her son William John.

“I had seen wood sculptures elsewhere and tracked down Tommy who specialises in wildlife and fantasy designs.

“It seemed fitting that the oak that had been home to so many birds, insects and mammals should, at the end of its life, continue to be a haven for wildlife, albeit animals carved out of its own wood.