Cotswolds Neighbours Face £70k Legal Dispute Over 250-Year-Old Tree

Richard and Melanie Gray, residents near the historic St George’s Church in Lower Brailes, Warwickshire, face a £70,000 demand from the Diocese of Coventry over their 250-year-old Sycamore tree, known as the Four Shire Tree. The diocese claims the tree's roots have caused subsidence damage to the nearby vicarage, insisting the tree be removed or a costly root barrier installed, with legal agents prepared to recover the amount from the couple. The Grays deny the tree caused the damage, citing an engineer’s report attributing subsidence to hot weather, and have refused both to pay the bill or fell the tree. They criticize the diocese's approach as threatening and inconsistent with Christian values, emphasizing the tree’s environmental importance as a habitat for wildlife and its historical significance. Mr. Gray expressed disbelief that the church, an institution expected to show pastoral care, would take such a stance, highlighting the irony in threatening neighbors over a natural landmark. The dispute remains unresolved, with the couple standing firm against the diocese's demands.