Monkey Puzzle Tree

A Memory of Tadworth.

As a kid in the 1970s, I remember being in my parents' car from London to Eastbourne, heading down the A217, passing through Tadworth. Visible from the road was a giant monkey puzzle tree in the grounds of Tadworth Court. I was fascinated by this sinister-looking 'tyrannosaurus rex' of the plant world...I recall that it was in decline by the late 1980s, and was a victim to high winds in around 1990. It's interesting to see the tree back in 1932, and brings back memories of our annual drive to the south coast.