The 500-year-old mulberry tree at Bethnal Green
- Credit: East London Garden Society
Campaigners have won a High Court challenge over plans to move Bethnal Green’s historic 500-year-old mulberry tree planted by Bishop Bonner during the reign of Henry VIII.
The tree stands in the grounds of the former London Chest Hospital, which was bought by developers in 2017 when the NHS moved out, in the Victoria Park conservation area.
A scheme for 291 flats agreed by Tower Hamlets Council in October would have meant moving the Mulberry out of the way and getting rid of another 37 trees, including some protected and many more than 200 years old.