‘The Great London Plane Tree of Ely is believed to have been a gift from King Charles II to Peter Gunning, the Bishop of Ely. It was planted at the Bishop’s Palace in 1674 when it was about ten years old.
It is believed to be one of the original London planes (Platanus x hispanica), a hybrid of the Oriental plane and American sycamore, first recorded in 1663.
The largest London plane in the UK – and one of the oldest – it was designated as one of the UK’s Top 50 Trees by the Tree Council in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee.’
