A Cotswold couple face demands from the Diocese of Coventry to fell a 250-year-old sycamore or foot a £70,000 bill for protective measures.
Richard and Melanie Gray received correspondence from the diocese alleging their ancient tree has damaged the adjacent vicarage in Lower Brailes, Warwickshire.
Legal agents working for the 12th-century church’s insurers have indicated they will pursue the Grays for the costs if action isn't taken.
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The disputed sycamore, locally recognised as the Four Shire Tree, stands 15 metres from both the Grays' residence and the vicarage, near the Grade I-listed St George's Church.
The couple have owned The Old Parsonage since 1982.
Mr Gray, aged 76 and a retired inventor, explained that the sycamore was promoted as an attractive feature when they acquired the property.
The diocese split the original plot in the early 1980s to construct a new vicarage.
They subsequently sold The Old Parsonage with its remaining grounds to private buyers.
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The disputed sycamore stands 15 metres from both the Grays' residence and the vicarage, near the Grade I-listed St George's Church
|The Grays, who have separated but maintain a close relationship, were the second private owners of the property.
The diocese now alleges the tree's root system has triggered subsidence at the vicarage and demands either removal of the tree or installation of root barriers at a cost of £69,768.88 plus VAT.
Mr Gray claims that engineers commissioned by the diocese initially concluded the tree wasn't responsible for the damage.
He argued: "Their own engineer's initial report said this large tree was not the cause, and that it was likely the hot weather."
| The sycamore takes its name from the nearby Four Shire stone, which marks where Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire meet.
Mr Gray emphasised the tree's ecological importance, describing it as "a citadel of invertebrates, insects and animals" and noting its role in local celebrations.
He said: "The irony is unbelievable. Here's an organisation which is supposed to have pastoral care and love thy neighbour, and then they say take this tree down or we'll charge you £70,000."
"To have a threatening letter sent out of the blue by the church doesn’t seem to fit into their Christian ethos for me when they are a spiritual organisation supposedly looking out for the local community."
Sycamore trees, while now widespread and naturalised, were introduced from Europe, likely in the 15th or 16th century
|GETTY
He added: "It doesn’t seem to fit with the church philosophy of ‘All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small’ if they are going to destroy a historic tree."
"We’re not going to pay and we’re not going to take it down and the church is still threatening to send us this rather large bill."
Mr Gray confirmed: "We're not going to pay and we're not going to take it down and the church is still threatening to send us this rather large bill."
A Clyde & Co spokesperson said: “We are confident that our work has been carried out professionally and fairly at all times.”
GB News has approached the diocese for a comment.