This copse must be one of the oldest examples of greening the city as it dates back to the birth of the Industrial Revolution. This group of trees was originally on the banks of the River Derwent here in Belper, Derbyshire when industrialist Jedediah Strutt widened the river in order to build a weir for his cotton mill.

Whatever reason the copse was retained in front of the rushing waters, is lost in the mists of time but one would like to think that Strutt decided it gave an unusual attractive flourish to this urban scene.

Finalist - Greening the City