the seven sisters

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PictureSeven Sisters trees on the Dorset map of 1619





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Picture
The Seven Sisters and Page Green, Tottenham from Robinson's History of Tottenham 1840
Seven Sisters

Hundreds of years ago seven elm trees were planted around a walnut tree for reasons which have been lost in time. The trees appear on the Dorset map of 1619 and some believe that the original seven trees were planted as long ago as 1350. The seven trees have been replanted a number of times, always by seven sisters but they are now in a slightly different location to the earliest plantings.  In 1886, a circle of elms was planted by the seven Hibbert sisters. 

In 1955 the Basten sisters planted seven Lombardy Poplars which unfortunately failed to thrive.  T
he current seven hornbeam trees, seen in the photograph below, were planted in 1996 by the newly formed Tree Trust for Haringey with five local families each of seven sisters .

The Barkham sisters seen on the family memorial in All Hallows church have also been linked with the trees.


Picture
The Seven Sisters (Autumn). Photo by Noel Treacy
Picture
The Seven Sisters (Winter). Photo by Noel Treacy
Picture
The Seven Sisters (Spring). Photo by Noel Treacy
The Seven Sisters road which was completed in 1833 and provided a link across the countryside from Tottenham to Holloway was named after the trees; as was the underground station which was built in 1969. 

The image on the right,  based on the mosaic by Hans Unger at Seven Sisters Underground Station, shows the 450 year old oak in Bruce Castle Park, the oldest tree in Tottenham
. 
Picture
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In Tottenham seven trees were planted in a ring over 400 years ago for reasons lost in time; the Seven Sisters area and the underground station are named after them. The seven trees have been replanted a number of times, always by seven sisters. 

The Tottenham Trees logo, shown on the right, is a silhouette of the Bruce Castle Oak with the logo of the Charter for Trees, Woods and People launched in November 2017, on the 800th anniversary of the Royal Charter of the Forest.

Picture
  • Tottenham Trees
    • Winter Tree blog: Evergreen trees
    • Trees in Tottenham (Galleries) >
      • Tottenham trees (A-D common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (E-K common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (L-R common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (S-Z common name)
    • Special trees in Tottenham >
      • Bruce Castle Oak >
        • Arboricultural survey
        • Reminiscences of the Bruce Castle Oak
        • Calling Tree >
          • Calling Tree: gallery
      • Mulberry tree
      • Seven Sisters
    • Tottenham parks >
      • St Ann's Redevelopment
    • Tottenham Tree Trails
    • Archive >
      • Celebrating Trees 2023
      • #HaringeyFavouriteTrees 2022
      • #HaringeyFavouriteTrees 2021
      • Tree Charter Day 2019 >
        • Legacy Oak Ale
      • Tree Charter Day 2018
      • Tree Charter Day 2017
      • 800 year Charter anniversary
      • Calling Tree: Tottenham
      • London Tree Week 2017
      • London Tree Week 2016
      • Other Tottenham tree events
    • Who we are >
      • Postcards and Bags
  • About Trees
    • Threats to our trees
    • Tree Identification
    • Stephen's Tree Quizzes >
      • Celebrating Trees 2023 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees 2023
      • Celebrating Trees 2019 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees 2019
      • Celebrating Trees 2018 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees
      • Lazy Sunday Tree Quiz >
        • Answers: Lazy Sunday
    • Global Tree Calendar
    • Charter for Trees >
      • Charter history
      • Charter Principles
      • Independent Panel on Forestry
  • Urban Trees
    • Growing trees from seed
    • iTree surveying
    • Street Trees for Living
    • Tree care
    • Tree packs for free
    • Tree planting
    • Trees in the Townscape
  • Inspirations
    • Trees in Art from Tottenham
    • Trees in Words from Tottenham >
      • From the Sycamore Gap
      • Message on leaves
      • Nothing
      • Ode from the Oak
      • Of this tree
      • Poetry@The Room 2024 >
        • Little Ol' Me
        • The Elder
      • Poetry @ The Room 2017 >
        • Epping
        • Under the Elder Tree
      • Poetry Sunday @ Bruce Castle
      • It's a Word Thing!
    • Wangari Maathai >
      • Green Belt Movement
      • Institute and Foundation
      • First Seven Trees
      • Remembering Wangari
      • Kenya
    • Felix Finkbeiner >
      • Plant for the Planet >
        • 3 Point Plan
    • Chico Mendes
    • Chipko Movement
    • Inspiring stories from around the world
  • Green Spaces
    • Other Haringey Green Spaces
    • London Friends of Green Spaces
    • London National Park City
    • Parks cafe trail
    • The Conservation Volunteers
    • Future Forest