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Behind the scenes: Hornbeams

Behind-the-scenes access in the run up to the grand opening of Shakespeare's New Place in Summer 2016.

A figure draws aside a curtain to reveal a number of hornbeams with large netted root-balls, and a man in high-viz vest and shorts preparing to place them.

Today, meet the hornbeams! Hornbeam is a deciduous tree species with smooth bark and hard, tough wood, native to South East England.

Ours arrived in the back of a lorry one sunny spring morning, with their root systems cosily wrapped up - a delightful and surreal sight to behold. These magnificent trees are pleached - their branches are set to grow and intertwine with one another, to form a circle at the heart of Shakespeare’s New Place. What’s inside the circle, we hear you ask? All will be revealed over the next few days!


Shakespeare’s New Place opens Summer 2016. Come and walk in Shakespeare's footsteps and meet the man behind the works in a fascinating new exhibition. Discover beautiful gardens and specially-commissioned artworks.

Find out more about Shakespeare's New Place.

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