A real labour of love: Devoted farmer creates heart-shaped meadow by planting thousands of oak trees in tribute to his late wife

  • Heartbroken farmer Winston Howes planted the sapling oaks 17 years ago
  • Trees have grown into a glorious meadow with a heart pointing towards his late wife’s childhood home
  • Tribute had been a family secret until balloonist photographed it from the air

By
Rick Dewsbury

06:00 EST, 13 July 2012

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09:24 EST, 13 July 2012

A devoted farmer created this touching heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife – by planting thousands of oak trees.

Dedicated Winston Howes, 70, spent a week carefully planting 6,000 oak saplings after his wife of 33 years Janet died suddenly 17 years ago.

He laid out the fledgling trees in a six-acre field but left a perfect heart shape in the middle – with the point facing in the direction of her childhood home.

The labour of love has now blossomed into a mature meadow – a peaceful oasis where Winston can sit and remember his wife of 33 years.

The meadow of love cuts a distinct figure among the rest of the filed in the rolling Gloucestershire countryside

Standing out: The meadow of love featuring a heart for Mr Howes’ late wife cuts a distinct figure among the rest of the fileds in the rolling Gloucestershire countryside

Everlasting love: A farmer's touching tribute to his wife of 33 years who died suddenly 17 years ago. The trees were planted after the death and have grown into a meadow with heart in the middle

Everlasting love: A farmer’s touching tribute to his wife of 33 years who died suddenly 17 years ago. The trees were planted after the death and have grown into a meadow with heart in the middle

His meadow cannot be seen from the road and had remained a family secret until a hot air balloonist took this photograph from the air.

Proud Mr Howes said today: ‘I came up with the idea of creating a heart in the clearing of the field after Janet died.

‘I thought it was a great idea – it was a flash on inspiration – and I planted several thousand oak trees.

‘Once it was completed we put seat in the field, overlooking the hill near where she used to live. I sometimes go down there, just to sit and think about things. It is a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years.’

Husband and wife: Winston Howes with his late wife, Janet in 1994. Janet died from heart failure aged 50 and Mr Howes planted the saplings with his son

Husband and wife: Winston Howes with his late wife, Janet in 1994. Janet died from heart failure aged 50 and Mr Howes planted the saplings with his son

Young couple: Mr Howes with his wife in 1960. They married two years later in 1962 but he was devastated after her sudden death in 1995 and planted the trees in her memory

Young couple: Mr Howes with his wife in 1960. They married two years later in 1962 but he was devastated after her sudden death in 1995 and planted the trees in her memory

Mr Howes, who owns an 112-acre farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, decided to seed housewife Janet’s legacy after she died from heart failure in 1995, aged 50.

The pair were married in nearby Stroud in 1962.

He created with the wood using small oak trees next to his farmhouse in the months after her death – marking out an acre-long heart with a large bushy hedge.

The entrance to the secret heart is only accessible from a track leading up to its tip.

Mr Howes said: ‘We got people in especially to do it – there are several thousand trees.

Secret garden: The heart forms a peaceful oasis among the trees where Mr Howes can go to remember his beloved wife. The incredible sight was hidden until a balloonist recently noticed it from the air

Secret garden: The heart forms a peaceful oasis among the trees where Mr Howes can go to remember his beloved wife. The incredible sight was hidden until a balloonist recently noticed it from the air

Aerial view: Photographs taken today from a helicopter show clearly the path leading up to the clearing in the middle of the woods

Aerial view: Photographs taken today from a helicopter show clearly the path leading up to the clearing in the middle of the woods

Aerial view: Photographs taken today from a helicopter show clearly the path leading up to the clearing in the middle of the woods 

Mr Howes created the impressive memorial with help from his son. It remains hidden from nearby roads and can only be viewed from the sky

Mr Howes created the impressive memorial with help from his son. It remains hidden from nearby roads and can only be viewed from the sky

‘We planted large oak trees around the edge of the heart then decided to put a hedge around it too.

‘The heart points towards Wotton Hill, where Janet is from.

‘We plant daffodils in the middle that come up in the spring – it looks great. I go out there from time to time and sit in the seat I created.

‘I also flew over it myself about five years ago.’

Mr Howes’ memorial was shown in all its glory after keen hot air balloonist Andy Collett, 42, from Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, soared over the wood last week.

The transport businessman could not believe his eyes when he discovered the symbol of love hidden among the trees.

He said: ‘I have my own balloon and am quite a regular flyer – but this was the most amazing sight I have ever seen from the sky.

‘It was a perfect heart hidden away from view – you would not know it was there.

‘You can just imagine the love story.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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Kind of restores just a little bit of faith in Human Nature, Nice one Mr. Howes.

wow

What a super loving, romantic gesture, one of the most beautiful things I have seen!

This is lovely made me smile with a lump in my throat as well beautiful and will last such a long time.

Made me smile 🙂

Beautiful! Shame it’s no longer his personal secret really.

This story is so beautiful but at the same time so sad.

What a lovely couple they were and you can see in the picture from 1960 how lovingly he even looked at her. She was stunning. Just one of the sweetest stories ever. I should be so lucky to be loved like that in my life even for a moment.

You can get a better view with Google Earth.

This was a wonderful testiment to love. It is so good to see with all the hateful political and international news that goodness, love, and devotion still is common

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