Bungling villagers volunteered to tidy up an historical tree the place ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ writer John Bunyan preached 400 years in the past – and by chance burnt it down.
The ten volunteers turned up with a sequence noticed, secateurs and a tractor earlier than spending hours pulling plenty of ivy off the well-known native landmark which is called the Pilgrim Tree.
Parish council chairwoman Carol McCall had instructed them the day earlier than: ‘When you’ve got any dry materials which might assist with the hearth lighting, do convey that additionally.’
Then after clearing away brambles from across the 30ft excessive ash tree at Rushymeade Meadow in Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire, they lit a bonfire to burn the particles.
10 volunteers supplied to tidy up the traditional tree in Pulloxhill, Bedfordshire, earlier than by chance burning it down
However because the villagers gathered spherical the hearth to survey their handiwork, a stray spark set gentle to overhanging 15ft branches.
And so they may solely watch helplessly as they burned for 4 hours earlier than falling off to go away simply the charred stump of the 500-year-old tree.
Parish councillor Leonie Austin wrote within the Pulloxhill Village e-newsletter afterwards: ‘A gaggle of volunteers gathered on Rushymeade to clear brush and ivy from across the Pilgrim Tree.
‘A superb begin was made and an outdated laid hedge was uncovered in ok situation to be restored.
‘Lots of ivy was faraway from the tree.
Watchers watched it for 4 hours earlier than the branches fell off to go away simply the charred stump of the 500-year-old tree
Folks spent hours pulling plenty of ivy off the well-known native landmark which is called the Pilgrim Tree
‘As with earlier classes, a bonfire was lit to do away with all the comb. Sadly, a spark from the hearth shortly caught gentle in its trunk and some hours later the primary branches had fallen.
‘Though hearth is not a threat, the tree and fallen branches are nonetheless harmful so please keep away from getting too shut.’
The group have been clearing the encircling space of the tree, which stands alone within the meadow which belongs to the parish council, to create space to plant a brand new tree within the new yr.
Though they believed the bonfire was lit at a ‘secure distance’, by some means the branches caught hearth.
The well-known writer, John Bunyan, used to regularly preach there, so all of the locals started calling it the Pilgrim Tree
As a result of the tree was lifeless, the it quickly began to burn. Attributable to ts inaccessible placement, the group didn’t determine to name the hearth brigade and determined to let it burn out.
It took about 4 hours earlier than the branches started to fall down.
Councillor Austin mentioned yesterday: ‘Now now we have cordoned off the realm till we will get the tree surgeon out once more within the New 12 months to make it secure and take away what’s left of the branches.
‘Native legend has it that John Bunyan preached there so all of the locals calls it the Pilgrim Tree.’
Pulloxhill is among the oldest settlements in Bedfordshire, relationship again greater than 1,000 years, and was talked about within the Domesday Guide when it was house to 11 villagers, 13 smallholders and two slaves.
The Bunyan household have been its most well-known residents and John, a former tinker, was arrested a few miles away in Harlington village after refusing to cease giving sermons within the native space.
The traditional tree had a hole trunk that fashioned a pure pulpit and may very well be climbed simply, which means that John Bunyan may very well be heard readily because it acted as a pure soundboard.
He spent 12 years in Bedford Gaol the place he started writing the well-known novel, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
He latdied in 1688 aged 59 and was buried at Bunhill Fields non-conformist cemetery in London.
