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/ )