Planting in name of poet

The bicentenary of the death of Horsham-born poet Percy Bysshe Shelley has been officially marked by the planting of a symbolic chestnut tree.

The tree was planted in the Shelley Wildlife Garden at Warnham Local Nature Reserve – a site thought to have been frequented by the poet himself.

Historical documents indicated Shelley often sat under a specific chestnut tree near the reserve’s millpond in the late 19th and early 20th century and this is where he took inspiration for his work.

The garden has been inspired by Shelley’s love of the environment which often featured in his works.