To mark our selection as a Finalist in the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2015 we’re embarking on a unique and ambitious tour of the country – the Dodo Roadshow.
Beginning at Land’s End on 8 June and concluding in John O’Groats one week later, the famous Oxford Dodo will visit more than 20 museums and galleries along the way. At each stop the Dodo will ‘interview’ one of the venue’s star objects.
Compton Verney: Cedar of Lebanon
So, tell me about yourself – who are you and where do you come from?
I am a Cedar tree, known botanically as a Cedrus libani. My parents come from the Lebanon.
What is it that makes you so special?
I was planted here at Compton Verney when the famous gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown redesigned the garden nearly 250 years ago.
Who looks after you in this place?
I’m looked after by a collection of experts, brought together by Head of Landscape and Gardens, Gary Webb.
Do you remember life before the museum?
I have enjoyed much care and attention over the decades, but some of my larger branches have been broken by storms. I still remember when the Verney family used to play beneath my spreading evergreen branches though; they are my fondest moments.
What does the future hold for you?
The future looks much brighter following my root aeration last summer, and of course the feed of seaweed; my leaves are looking greener already! I’m in good hands of course and even have a new rope barrier so my delicate roots aren’t squashed by the many visitors to Compton Verney.
More Than A Dodo 
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