Linda McCartney memorial wood is destroyed by disease

The wood planted by Sir Paul McCartney in tribute to his wife, Linda, has been ravaged by sudden oak death disease. When hundreds of trees were planted in remembrance of Linda McCartney, it was hoped that they would grow to be a living and lasting memorial to the first wife of Sir Paul McCartney.

Now, however, all the larch trees in Linda’s Wood have had to be chopped down because of a deadly disease sweeping the country. The trees were the victim of Phytophthora ramorum, or sudden oak death, which has jumped species and is infecting other trees including larch and the Douglas fir.



Linda’s Wood borders the 100-acre nature sanctuary St John’s Wood, which the couple bought in Somerset in 1990. The trees were planted after the wife of the former Beatle died of breast cancer in 1998, aged 56. They included some of the New York-born photographer’s favourite species, such as the North American maple.

During the dedication and naming ceremony for Linda’s Wood in 1998, children laid posies of flowers by the trees and the Salvation Army played music by Wings, the pop group of which the couple were members. Sir Paul then handed the woodland over to the league to manage as part of its deer sanctuary, which borders Exmoor National Park and is run in an attempt to protect deer from the stag hunts in the area.