A DISEASED Cedar of Lebanon that has stood overlooking Drybridge Street for 250 years has been given a new lease of life and was formally declared ‘open’ by the Lord Lieutenant Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE on Sunday (May 7).

The tree was cut back to a short trunk after becoming a victim of disease and trustees of the building built by the Crompton-Roberts family that now houses Bridges Centre, decided to create a lasting legacy and hired Chris Wood of Woodart Works to carve something amazing out of the remaining stump.

An opening ceremony was tied in with the Coronation party at Bridges with the Town Band providing a suitable musical air to the proceedings.

The Lord Lieutenant greeted everyone saying what a “fabulous day to be doing this on such an historic weekend when we celebrate the King’s Coronation.

“This time yesterday I was in Westminster Abbey halfway down the nave, opposite some people called ‘Ant and Dec’ and enjoying an event in the history of this country that none of us will ever witness again.”

He explained he had to be seated over two hours before the service began but was able to listen to “the most fantastic music that I’ve heard. How often can you go to a gig and get John Elliot Gardener, bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, and baritone, Roddy Williams performing along with the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of the Chapel Royal, the Monte Verde Choir and the unique Coronation Orchestra, the most fantastic music and the overall impression I came away with from the service is how lucky we are to have that depth and variety of talent in this country” he added.

“There were three occasions when I found myself crying and I’m a grown squaddie: Two of them were to do with music - I’m afraid Nimrod gets me every time - but the moment when the King was divested of his robes in the Abbey and in a private moment went behind the screen to be anointed, no state paraphernalia, just a man in his shirt, I found that a very powerful and moving image.

“I felt hugely privileged to be there and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate the coronation of a monarch”.

Turning to the sculpture behind him he said it was a wonderful thing to do with a tree ”rather than just cut it up into 18 inch logs, split it and make some rather expensive firewood”.

Paying a tribute to the sculptor, Chris Wood, he said: “ he has created this delightful creation behind me here with all of the flora and fauna of the Wye Valley on it.

“It’s a lovely thing to be able to enjoy and I commend the people of Bridges for having the foresight to do this as another piece of culture and heritage of Monmouth.

“The driving force behind what you do here is your volunteer ethos. Aileen Atkinson, Charity Director at Bridges later told the Beacon that she would like to thank all contributors to funding of the sculpture including Monmouth Town Council, as well as “Terry Christopher who was a great supporter of the project during his time as Mayor and various anonymous donors. It’s due to these generous donations that the tree carving was in any way possible.”

After the ceremony Sculptor Chris Wood (pictured right) spoke to the Beacon and said how challenging the work had been.

“In total I took about 18 days. Firstly it was going to be a monolith taking inspiration from the architecture of the building, then it was just going to be the idea of the hands with a relief carving of scenes from history around the base. But eventually they went with animals from the Wye Valley, scrapping the hands.”

But Chris insisted the hands stayed: “You can see them from a distance, they are like a Beacon so people understand it and they know what it’s all about”.

He had all sorts of challenges with nails and rot. He found a large piece of diseased tree at the base and had to gouge it out, douse it with fungicide and fill it with some very dense (very expensive) expanded foam, finally capping it with a piece of wood from higher up.

Some of the animals were also added on with wood from higher up as problems with the rot meant he couldn’t always carve a complete animal.

Caerleon-based Chris spent two months in Canada last year taking part in a TV programme ‘In the Cut’ airing on Sky History this Thursday, May 11th at 9pm. “It was five days on and one day off competition time.

“This time last year I was in Canada filming that programme, but this carving at Bridges has been the most challenging I’ve ever done,” he added.