The Parish Council in collaboration with the Minnie Pit Heritage Site committee have been successful in securing 4 trees from the Sakura Cherry Tree Project.

The 4 trees being planted at Minnie Pit Heritage Site are some of the over 8,000 Japanese cherry trees – or Sakura in Japanese – given to the UK by Japan, and planted across the country in parks, gardens and schools to celebrate Japan’s relationship with the UK.

The project is a legacy from the Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-2021, which aimed to showcase Japan’s multifaceted attractions in the UK. The gift of these trees enables people to learn more about Japan, its culture and traditions. It is the intention of this project to plant across the whole of the United Kingdom so that each spring there is a wave of cherry blossom across the country.

The Sakura Cherry Trees will be distributed to over 1,000 sites in all four countries of the UK from St Ives to Aberdeen to Londonderry, Cardiff and several of London’s biggest parks. The project was formally launched with a planting ceremony at The Regent’s Park attended by HRH The Duke of Gloucester, the then Japanese Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, Joint Chairman of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project Keisaku Sandy Sano and local school children in 2019.

To date, trees have been planted in all the counties of England and Wales, and planting continues in Scotland. Trees have been planted in Northern Ireland, the Orkneys, Tresco in the Scilly Isles, the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, and planting will continue for the next two years, completing in 2027.