This year, urban trees take the limelight. “Ancient trees in towns and cities are vital for the health of nature, people and planet,” said the charity’s lead campaigner Naomi Tilley. “They give thousands of urban wildlife species essential life support, boost the UK’s biodiversity and bring countless health and wellbeing benefits to communities.”
A panel of experts has shortlisted 12 contenders, with a public vote choosing the 13th. As well as recognising the value of our woodlands, the award aims to highlight conservation efforts.
“Most ancient trees aren’t protected by law, and those in urban areas are particularly vulnerable,” Tilley added. “Trees like those in the shortlist are remarkable and deserve celebration – and protection.”
1. Greenwich Park sweet chestnut, London
Now almost 400 years old, this gem was planted in the reign of King Charles II – on his orders. It was all part of his bold vision to rebuild the Palace of Greenwich. Although his grand designs never got off the ground, many of the hundreds of trees he had planted in French-style formal avenues are still standing to this day, their twisted, decomposing trunks providing centuries-old havens for wildlife.
2. Holm oak blitz tree, Exeter, Devon
It took 20 German bombers little more than an hour to raze much of Exeter to rubble in a night time raid in May 1942. Yet when the smoke cleared, somehow this city centre oak stood tall beside the ruins of Southernhay United Reformed Church mere feet away. Today, as then, this evergreen – also known as a holly oak – is seen by locals as a symbol of hope and strength.
3. Cathedral foxglove tree, Lichfield, Staffordshire
Foxglove trees were introduced from China in the 1830s, and this particular specimen is the largest in the country. At around 100 years old, it keeps vigil over Lichfield’s Remembrance Garden, opened in 1920.
4. Lakeside holm oak, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Holm oaks’ tolerance of shade and air pollution makes them ideal for urban areas. This veteran was likely planted around 1840 and would have seen the town’s Jephson Gardens through their heyday as a pleasure spot for well-heeled Victorians. After a period of postwar decline, a restoration project in the early 2000s means the gardens thrive to this day.
5. Crouch oak, Addlestone, Surrey
This oak’s greatest claim to fame is that its branches sheltered Queen Elizabeth I as she nibbled on a right royal picnic. Two centuries earlier in the 1370s, priest, scholar and all-round big thinker John Wycliffe delivered sermons under the tree, and Victorian baptist Charles Spurgeon had the same idea in 1872. Despite the 800-year-old landmark’s hollow trunk being hit by arsonists in 2007, it’s still standing today, with Surrey county council implementing a raft of support to ensure its survival.