Nearly There Trees. Image from BBC.
On the boarder of Devon and Cornwall, just off the A30, lies Cooksworthy Knapp.
If that name doesn’t ring any bells, the landmark is also called the Nearly There Trees, Cornwall Beyond, or Grandma’s Trees, among other titles.
This small clump of beech trees in Lifton has grown famous with both Cornish locals and tourists who use them as a waypoint on their journey into the county.
It has even been the subject of postcards, photos and illustrations.
It’s height and proximity to the main road make it hard to ignore as you drive through Devon and into Cornwall.
The local artist Katie Stoneman described the trees as ‘glorious’ and uses them to inspire many of her paintings.
She told the BBC “they are known to my children as ‘Mummy’s trees’ because of my paintings” and said that the view of Cooksworthy Knapp is ‘iconic’.
Bought by the Maynard family in the 1970s, the Nearly There Trees are shrouded in mystery.
They are estimated to have been planted around 1910 alongside fir trees and laurels.
Jo Maynard told ITV news that “they were planted by the Lifton Park estate and they were planted as game cover”, although others have come up with numerous different theories.
The most popular of these is that they were planted by a farmer as a memorial to his late wife and both the bittersweet romance of this story, and the fact that an aerial view of the trees shows them to be roughly heart shaped, makes this a widely told tale.
Other stories include the locally believed idea that is marks an ancient burial site, or that it is concealing an old quarry.
The countywide interest in the Nearly There Trees has warranted many social media groups who hope to keep the fame and mythology of the Nearly There Trees alive for the generations to come.
Regardless of where they came from, this small patch of beeches has become synonymous with the comfort of being within reach of a seaside holiday, or the warmth of your home.