On 08/05/2014 16:29, Charlie Pridham wrote:

wrote in message
...
Greetings Urglers. I've just climbed over the fence from the shedde to
ask if anyone recognises this:
http://i60.tinypic.com/5d1yo.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/2sax9cj.jpg



It's a tree at Webbington Hotel in the Mendips, a former Edwardian house
come venu. The tree is huge, and rooted in a sunken courtyard
suggesting it was planted in a deliberately sheltered spot. The present
terrace has been built around this little courtyard.

As well as the fruit photographed there were some dense conical floral
spikes, a yellowy white in colour, looking like unopened magnolia
blooms, most of them brown and discoloured as though frosted.

My picture of the flower spikes failed, this is similar but the ones at
the Webbington had a green covering up to the waist line, the same
colour as the leaves:
http://i61.tinypic.com/x1h72f.jpg

My gut rection is that it is a massive magnolia, and the edwardian
planting date would not be unreasonable. But I thought I would ask the
experts.


On the hotel's web site it can be seen in the banner, to the right of
the four gables, and in a photo of the terrace, overhanging the terrace
with some umbrellas in the foreground
(http://www.webbingtonhotelandspa.co.uk/ )

Not an expert but I have one and it looks like Magnolia grandifolia, an
evergreen sort, there are various named forms like 'Exmouth' which is
why the flowers are not exactly the same as other trees you may have seen.
Introduced to the UK in 1734 from SE USA




Yes, I agree. Definitely Magnolia. I'm aware of another form 'Charles
Dickens', but don't know which yours is.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay