Here's why a giant 8ft bald eagle now takes pride of place overlooking Washington Village
After photographs of a giant 8ft bald eagle in Washington Village went viral over the Easter weekend, I’ve been finding out why the stunning carving now takes pride of place overlooking the new town’s historic centre.
The carving has been created out of a two hundred year old beech tree after it was felled in February (2026).
The £2,000 carving was commissioned by local horticultural group, Washington Village in Bloom, who have won various awards for the village’s floral displays.
Chair Joan Atkinson said: “A large limb of the tree broke away in August (2025) and when the Council came out to inspect the tree they said it was diseased and posed a safety risk and would need to be cut down.”
Whilst saddened by the loss of the ancient tree, the group decided to ensure its legacy lived on asked for 8ft of the tree trunk to be left intact in order to create a carving to help capture the essence of Washington Village’s character and history.
Following a vote, the group decided to opt for a bald eagle, the national bird and symbol of the USA, representing the intrinsic connection between Washington Village and the USA capital.
Joan said: “Washington Village and the Old Hall is the ancestral home of George Washington, the ‘Founding Father’ and the first president of the United States of America.
“There are two bald eagles in Washington Old Hall and in the 70s, the then USA President Jimmy Carter visited the village and planted a tree in recognition of the connection between the two places.
“The bald eagle represents this connection and is a symbol of the links between the two Washingtons.”
Fellow group member Alyson Chapman added: “I think it’s particularly apt that this has been created on what is the 250th anniversary year of American Independence.”
With the help of a donation from the Friends of Washington Old Hall, Washington Village in Bloom commissioned County Durham tree sculptor Tommy Craggs to create the bald eagle.
Using an array of chain saws of different sizes, Tommy created the impressive design over a three day period, using the tree’s natural pigmentation to add texture and colour to the bald eagle.
After being unveiled across the Easter weekend, photographs of the bird went viral, with “hundreds of people” flocking to Washington village to see the carving.
Group member Anne Jones said: “It has been all over Facebook. The response has been amazing and we’ve had crowds of people coming to see the design.”
Fellow member Ron Atkinson, 77, added: “I’ve been coming down here every day since Easter and people have been coming from across the North East to see it.”
The group are still funding the cost of the carving. Donations can be made via the collection buckets in the Cross Keys pub and The Green tearoom.