This series was inspired by the book 'Plymouth's Favourite Trees' and this multi has been created with grateful thanks to the time, help, patience and enthusiasm of Andrew Young, Chairman of The Plymouth Tree Partnership.
You will need tweezers and a pen or pencil as the cache is micro.
Stage 1 - Start by counting the number of metal columns in the arch. This gives you A. From here, you will walk through a beautiful Lime avenue, planted in 1948. These trees would have been growing in a nursery for about 10 years before being planted, meaning that they were cultivated all throughout the war - quite extraordinary considering the circumstances!
Stage 2 - There are no co-ordinate clues to collect here, just take time to admire the sycamore tree right beside the building. The sycamore was amidst the firestorm that destroyed the Guildhall in the air raid of March 21st 1941. A spectacular photograph of the scene with ruins, smoke, fire crews and the tree can be found in the book "It came to our door" by Chris Robinson. The heat may well have singed the tree leaving evidence in its annual growth rings.
Stage 3 - The large trees here stood in Westwell Street burial ground before the Second World War and were incorporated into the current pleasant setting. There is a plaque near the locust trees, from Plymouth Michigan, one of Plymouth's namesakes. Only three out of the four original trees have survived. They are a common street tree in New York, and were planted here on July B, 1967.
Stage 4 - This piazza was made in 2004 with the two rows of Liquidambars being planted at the same time. These trees originate in the southeastern states of North America and are very useful in urban situations with lots of reflected light and heat. Liquidambar is also known as Sweet Gum because of the resin that exudes from the bark when cut. How many trees are there in the tree-lined square? This gives you C and D.
Stage 5 - These trees once lined the road before it was pedestrianised in 1988. The outer tree row features some horse chestnuts now, which have almost completely replaced the original ornamental cherries. The inner tree row is a naturally occurring hybrid between the Mountain Ash and the Whitebeam, known as Sorbus thuringiaca or the bastard service tree. It is compact and needs little maintenance, so is often used in urban situations. It has white flowers and red berries.
The piazza name in alphanumerics will give you E and F, where the 8th letter gives E and the 5th letter gives F.
You now have all the clues for the co-ordinates.
N 50 22.(C+E)(B+C)(D+E) W 004 08.(F-A+2)BD.
The trees you will see as you approach Drake Circus and the final co-ordinates were planted when the new shopping mall was built in 2006. For the majority of the trees here, growth is constrained by having been planted in a metal box system. They are tulip trees, and their name derives from their flowers which can be seen during May and June. These tulip trees are the North American species and they were introduced to this country in the mid-17th century by the plant collector John Tradescant the younger, shortly after the Pilgrim Fathers sailed.
And finally...there must be very few Eucalyptus trees which have a Tree Preservation Order on them, but these are special for a number of reasons. Few Eucalyptus trees grow in Britain. Native to Australia and Tasmania, many species do not survive harsh winters so most would not survive without protection in any areas of Britain but the southwest. These Cider Gums are probably the most common in Britain; they produce a sweet sap similar to maple syrup and, when fermented, it resembles cider.
Now for the Plymouth connection...in August 1768 Joseph Banks sailed from Plymouth with Captain Cook on his first voyage to New Zealand and Australia in HMS Endeavour. On his return, Sir Joseph Banks (who became the first curator of Kew Gardens) introduced Eucalyptus trees to Britain. We hope that you have enjoyed the tree trail around Plymouth centre, and now to hunt for the cache...