EIGHT-hundred trees have been planted at Heatherton Park to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Dozens of volunteers turned out to plant the trees on one-and-a-quarter acres of land, next to Heatherton Park House’s driveway.

Members of the Wellington branch of the Royal British Legion, which is planning to install a commemorative bench at the site, attended the event.

Another 800 trees and shrubs were planted to form a hedge around a community garden and allotment in the corner of painting restorer Tim Everett’s eight-acre field.

Organiser John Abraham, an upholster and artist at Heatherton Park, approached the Woodland Trust to partly fund and provide the trees.

The woodland is made up of a mixture of the following native species – hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, spindle, dogwood, hazel, rowan, field maple, silver birch, hornbeam, wild cherry, sweet chestnut and common oak.

The smaller species are planted around the edges of the wood with taller trees to the centre, creating a graduated view of the foliage.