Not far away is another house associated with John Wesley, with very special trees. Chrome Hill was originally owned by the Wolfenden family who came to Lambeg from Brunswick in 1603, founding mills and living in what was then named Harmony Hill. The house and mills were sold in 1815 to Mr Richard Nevin who named it Chrome Hill after chemicals he had introduced for yellow dye in the linen process.
In 1787, John Wesley stayed with his friends the Wolfenden family while preaching in the area. During his visit he twined two beech Fagus sylvatica saplings together, it is said to symbolise the essential unity of Methodism and Anglicanism.
Today this is growing like one tree, with the two trunks forming an arch at the base of the two trunks. The many branches intertwine and link, the trunk is fissured and marked by age, but the tree is exceptionally vigorous. Perhaps it gives hope for ultimate church unity ? It comes into leaf earlier than the surrounding single beeches, and is in all ways an exceptional tree.
Although the grounds are private, the McKinstry family, who now own Chrome Hill, permit visits to the tree, which is right by the entrance gates off the Ballyskeagh Road.
Because of the known fondness of John Wesley for preaching under trees, many have been planted in his memory beside Methodist Churches and Wesley Halls throughout Ireland.