Known colloquially as The Rhubarb but officially titled The Railway Tree, this ten-meter steel structure was created by sculptor Malcolm Robertson to honour Stratford’s railway roots.

Stratford has had a continuous station since 1839 and was once home to the Great Counties Railway engineering workshop, which built 1,682 steam locomotives between 1850 and the 1920s, employing around 3,000 people at its height.

The Railway Tree is made up of seven rails which were originally going to hold motifs created by members of the local community but unfortunately that didn’t happen.

It was moved to its current location, 30 meters from Stratford station, due to redevelopment of the area.

Stratford station is now bigger than ever due to the addition of many new lines, making The Railway Tree a great visual reminder of how it all began.

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