The 'nearly home' trees: Lifton's legendary landmark

Sitting just above the A30, squarely in the middle of a field, is a copse of trees legendary to those living in the West Country.

The 100 beech trees, just scraping the Cornish border, are commonly known as the "nearly home" trees.

Over their years standing as a familiar landmark they have been painted, photographed, and theorised over.

Here's ITV West Country's attempt to find out the true story behind their existence.

Read more: West Country trees in the running to win Tree of the Year

They have a few different names to those living nearby, variations on the "coming home" trees by far the most popular.

They're also known as "the trees on the top of the hill," "nearly home trees," and "the Cornish man's welcome home".

The official name though is Cookworthy Knapp.

So just how did they come to be sitting in the middle of a field near the village of Lifton.

One theory is that the copse is the product of one original tree which has produced to now naturally form a circle.

Another is a more historical take, the trees where perhaps planted in a circle as saplings to then grow and act as an animal enclosure.

The people who may have the best idea of how the trees came to be there are the Maynard family.

They bought the clump of trees and the surrounding land in the 1970s, the land is now farmed but the trees remain standing tall.

The Maynards estimate the trees were planted in around 1910 making them over 100 years old.

Whatever their origins, the trees have been a source of inspiration for many living and commuting around the West Country every day.

Katie Stoneman lives in nearby Lifton, she says the trees are "stand out" and often feature in her paintings.

Let us know your favourite memories of the "coming home" trees: contact us here.

Read more: Fearless Longleat lioness shocks keepers with tree-climbing skills