A Spanish Sweet Chestnut tree which had stood close to the St Patrick’s Church of Ireland in Cairncastle, has unfortunately succumb to Mother Nature, and fallen onto the church graveyard.
The tree which is said to have stood since the the 1600’s, has however been rescued by Ballycastle woodturner Gerard Gray, who has been tasked with the challenge of repurposing the wood into ‘something memorable’.
But this tree isn’t just any old ordinary tree, because according to the local folklore in the area, the tree grew from seeds that were germined after being found in the pocket of a dead sailor’s jacket pocket.
That sailor is rumoured to have been aboard one of the Spanish Armada ships that was wrecked close by and his body buried in the graveyard.
Gerard Gray is no stranger to famous wood, having carved and turned wood from the famous Dark hedges trees,
As well as featuring on BBC’s the One Show, Gerard even had his work presented to the Queen.
With the fallen Spanish tree wood now safely stored in his workshop, we’ll all be looking forward to the final product.
