The Walking Tree.
An unusual specimen of a tree can be found in Brocton Coppice which is located in Sher Brook Valley on Cannock Chase in the county of Staffordshire here in the U.K. This tree gives the impression that it is walking and is similar in appearance to a tree which appeared in the Lord of the Rings which is known as The “Ent” in Middle Earth and which helped the Hobbits defeat Sauron at the Battle of Isengard.
It is interesting to note that Tolkien who wrote the Lord of the Rings actually stayed here on Cannock Chase during the war when he spent time here at the army training camps, so he may have actually seen the tree back then and drew inspiration from it, going on to develop a character for his famous book.
The tree is worth visiting as it it is truly unique, however it is not that easy to find so I have included some directions to make it easier to find. It is best to drive to the Punch Bowl car park at Milford, the postcode is ST170XA, from the car park walk down the path turning left at the T junction and continue on the main path until reaching the stepping stones. You then turn right up the next main path, but quickly turn right again up a more narrow path which you continue on for about 100 yards. You then deviate right again as the path splits into two. This is the final stage of the journey, as from here you need to carry on along this path, going up a slight incline which veers slightly to the left, you will the be able to see the tree on your right.
ludchurch 