Ealing: Urban Myths and Magnificent Trees

A-B Walk, ends at Acton Central overground station.

Have you heard the one about an elephant buried beneath an oak tree in Ealing? This fantastic story may or may not be true, but there’s certainly an old oak tree known as the Elephant Tree in W4, which we will make a beeline for.

After meeting at Ealing Broadway, we will visit the Elephant Tree before heading, via Walpole Park and Ealing Common, to Acton where we will see London’s most surprising swamp cypress. There’ll be plenty of other interesting trees along the way too, including a Victorian cedar and a baobab plane.

This walk was originally devised for inclusion in London Tree Walks, and has been adapted slightly for my guided tour. It is about 4.5 miles and will take between two and two-and-a-half hours to complete. It is mostly paved, however we may venture onto unpaved parkland surfaces.

Our finishing point, Acton Central overground station, is next to Acton Park, one of the places featured in my book London is a Forest on the Harrow to St Pancras route.

Walk details

Start 10:30, Ealing Broadway station
End 12:30-13:00, Acton Central overground station
Duration: Approximately 2-2.5 hours
Terrain: Mostly paved surfaces, fairly long.
Places are limited to 15

If you are interested in trees or London, then these walks are for you, they cover aspects of the city that you may not have come across before, and introduce you to remarkable individual trees and dozens of species and cultivars that grow on our streets and in our public spaces. All the walks in this programme are led by me, Paul Wood. It’s a way to share my knowledge and passion, and, I hope, to show you London in a completely new way: through its trees.

I have curated each walk to both show off an interesting part of the city and to highlight some fascinating trees. Some of the walks have previously featured in my books either in part or whole, while others are completely new.

Places are limited to 15 people, and are of varying length and difficulty. Some are short and sweet, lasting an hour and a half, while others may take up to two and a half hours. While they follow urban routes, some are more strenuous than others, and while they are open to all, I have included details of each walk’s accessibility and terrain. I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the walks, what we will cover and the routes. You can get in touch with me through my website.

About Paul

Paul Wood is a London-based writer, blogger, photographer and tour-guide. He has written three books about trees and urban nature in London:

London’s Street Trees (Safe Haven 2017, 2024), London is a Forest (Quadrille 2019, 2022) and London Tree Walks (Safe Haven 2020), he is also the editor of the Great Trees of London Map (Blue Crow Media 2021).

Over the past three years he has been researching and writing a new book entitled Tree-Hunting: 1,000 Trees to Find in Britain and Ireland’s Towns and Cities, to be published by Penguin in 2025.

You can find Paul on most social media platforms as @thestreettree, you can visit his website at thestreettree.com, and you can follow his weekly accounts featuring a great British or Irish tree on Substack at thestreettree.substack.com.

A large Caucasian Wingnut grows at the end of his street.

Terms and Conditions
Attendees must have a valid ticket for the event. Please ensure you have purchased a ticket in advance, we may not be able to accommodate you on the day if you do not have one.
Please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Some ground may be uneven.
Please do not bring dogs.
In the event of a bad weather forecast or very wet weather on the day, the event may be postponed or cancelled.
Specifically, if strong winds or gusts are likely to exceed 30mph then the event will be postponed or cancelled. If temperatures are forecast to exceed 30ºC at midday, then the event will be postponed or cancelled. If thunder and lightning or sustained heavy rain is forecast, then the event will be postponed or cancelled.
If the event is cancelled, full refunds will be offered to attendees.
Tickets are not refundable, however if you are unable to attend, let me know and I will release your ticket and offer a refund if it is sold.