Identification Puzzle

A conifer is not always an evergreen (and an evergreen is not always a conifer).

As it does every year, the tree I can see from my office window has turned a foxy brown and is shedding its leaves.

One thing I have never asked myself is - what is it ?

I had made a lazy assumption it is a larch. But that is clearly wrong.

My best guess so far is it is a dawn redwood. Known only from the fossil record until the mid 20th century when a population was found in a small area in China. Since when seeds have been planted around the world, although it is threatened and likely to go extinct in the wild (seedlings are not growing in the wild forests).

I am going to have to investigate further to confirm identification.

Postscript. Investigation completed (coincidentally, I bumped into a colleague responsible for our parks and gardens). I was right, it is Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood. I now want to know when it was planted and by whom