Tree ID please

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Saw this recently in a National Trust garden, the blossom was almost over but looked like a violety blue colour, the flowers maybe bell shaped a bit like small foxgloves.

There were some old round shaped seed pods in bunches you can just see in the pic: The sun made it hard to get a good photo but im hopidentify the tree, thank you.

Oops, didn't mean to post it yet. Here are the photos. I hope you can see it clearly enough.

I don't think it's clear enough for anyone to tell. I though at first Judas tree but that has long pea like seed pods whereas these were definitely more rounded. I might ring the place and ask.

Maybe a jacaranda tree?

It looks alot like the jacaranda trees that are a real feature in South Africa.

Thank you so much. It does look a lot like jacaranda and the seed pods suggest that too, but from what I've read on RHS jacaranda isn't hardy so would only survive in a conservatory.

We have quite a sheltered south facing garden in the south of England so maybe it's not out of the question, I'll read some more...

From your description I wondered about jacaranda too, the flowers and seed pods would fit. Then I looked at your pictures and thought I saw a few leaves on the tree that were not jacaranda leaves (they are frondy almost ferny). Looking again I've convinced myself that the leaves I was looking at were on a branch of another tree overlapping. So yes, I'd vote for jacaranda too.

There is a foxglove tree, proper name Paulownia tomentosa. Google it. It could be this.

I'm sure you're right. I've just read about the 'foxglove-like flowers' so I wasn't seeing things!

www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pl_id=2376.

It says it can grow outside in a mild climate so I think it'll be worth trying in ours. Moved into an overgrown garden last year and had to chop down 5 huge long ago self-seeded sycamores which cast shade everywhere but has left the garden almost empty and with no shade at all. Looking for 2 or 3 small - medium sized trees and fell in love with this one.

Now I'm not sure at all! It could be either. I'll have to go back and see it when the leaves are fully out.

From the seed pods I think it's the Paulownia. Thanks for everyone's help.

Yes, that's Paulownia tomentosa.

Although they can get big, you can prune them hard and keep them at a reasonable size. Doing so makes the leaves MASSIVE (A3 paper size). If you cut it annually, you'll not have it flower though so you might want to have a 3-5 year pollard cycle.