Roger Conant's Christmas 'Peace Tree'
From the top: East Budleigh’s ancient All Saints' Church, where the families of Sir Walter Raleigh and Roger Conant worshipped; the village’s High Street; Salem Chapel, on Vicarage Road, location of East Budleigh Heritage Centre. This December will see a renewal of a local tradition in the shape of a Christmas Tree Festival in East Budleigh Heritage Centre. The first Festival proved so popular that the tradition grew rapidly, progressing from around a dozen trees to over 50 in 2016. The statue of Roger Conant in Salem, Massachusetts. Image credit: John Andrews and Destination Salem The 2023 Festival will include an unusual exhibit which pays tribute to East Budleigh-born Roger Conant, founder of the city of Salem in Massachusetts which will mark its 400 th anniversary in 2026. Decorated with many flags from all over the world, the ‘tree’ created by East Budleigh’s Roger Conant Club has a serious message in its setting of the appropriately named Salem Cha...