The Woodlands Trust have announced their Tree of the Year winner for 2022. It is an an ancient Yew or Taxus baccata in the grounds of Wavaley Abbey
The winner of UK Tree of the Year 2022 is a yew perching on the ruins of Waverley Abbey, in Farnham, Surrey. It is a beautiful tree with roots that sprawl out above ground before plunging into the earth. Its multi-stemmed form is dotted with holes, crevices and areas of decay that provide valuable habitat for wildlife.This year's national contest celebrated our living legends that have withstood the test of time, each a constant safe haven for wildlife in a changing and sometimes disconnected landscape. The 12 finalists included trees selected from the Ancient Tree Inventory by our expert panel plus one tree nominated by the public.The yew won with an impressive 16% of the vote. In second place was The Portal Tree Rowan in Midlothian which took 11% of the vote. Third place went to Derbyshire's Layering Horse Chestnut, with 10% of the votes. Thousands of you voted for your favourite tree - thanks to everyone that took part!Here are the other 9 ancient trees that made the shortlist for this year's competition. You can find them all, along with thousands of other amazing trees, on the Ancient Tree Inventory.
- The Escley Oak, Herefordshire
- Holly on the Hill, North Yorkshire
- The Flitton Oak, Devon
- The Burnbanks Oak, Cumbria
- Hedgerow Hawthorn, Cumbria
- The ‘12 Apostles’ Lime, Gloucestershire
- Kilbroney Oak, County Down
- The Langley Park Sweet Chestnut, Montrose
- The Rolls of Monmouth Oak, Monmouthshire
