153. Masters’ Marvellous Plane
Something very intriguing lurks in the city of Canterbury...
A nineteenth-century Canterbury horticulturist, William Masters, may have been the supplier of the strange ‘Baobab’ planes dotted around the south east of England (as well as some further afield, like the Birr Burry Trees in Ireland). Canterbury has seven such trees and the finest grows in Westgate Gardens. Intriguingly, when the seven are mapped they form the shape of a cross within the city. Apparently Masters was a very religious man.
Back in 2017, Sadie Freeman was the first person, in the twenty-first century at least, to notice Masters’ cruciform plan. Her findings can be seen in more depth on a blog post entitled ‘The Baobab Planes of Canterbury’.
Species details
Baobab London plane
Platanus × hispanica 'Baobab'
Where to find it
Westgate Gardens, St Peter's Street, Canterbury CT1 2BQ
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