AN iconic East Dorset landmark is being celebrated in a new exhibition at Kingston Lacy House, near Wimborne.

Paintings, photographs, embroidery and stories inspired by Beech Avenue, the idyllic tree-lined section of the B3082 Blandford to Wimborne Road, have been gathered for more than a year by the National Trust.

Poole artist Verna Green was among the local artists to submit original work to the exhibition, including two oil paintings and a photograph inspired by the avenue’s 731 beech trees.

“I have been down there for hours at a time, just looking at everything, even getting up before work to take more pictures to paint from,” said Verna.

The trees were planted in 1835 by William John Bankes as a tribute to his mother, Frances. Of the 731 planted – representing each day of a normal year and a leap year – only 520 remain.

A fatal combination of old age, pollution, climate change, and untreatable disease, has weakened the trees, which are being gradually replaced by more resilient Hornbeam specimens.

Blandford man, Jason Pizzey, a teacher at the nearby Queen Elizabeth School, won a photographic competition held by the National Trust earlier this year. His photograph is the first image in the exhibition.

“I am absolutely delighted to have won, and delighted the judges decided to go with a photograph that is not a typical image. They went for something that is a little bit more moody and mysterious,” said Jason.

The Celebrating Beech Avenue exhibition opens at Kingston Lacy House from September 12 and runs until November 15.