Celebrations Beckon For Wrexham’s 'Party Tree' Crowned Tree of the Year 2023
Senior Digital PR Officer
Wrexham doubles down on city success as a 480-year-old sweet chestnut in Acton Park is crowned Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust competition.
The winning tree, which is famous amongst locals as the centrepiece of picnics and tree parties, secured 17% of the overall votes and will now go on to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year contest.
This year's Tree of the Year competition focused on celebrating ancient and veteran trees in urban spaces across the UK, with the best trees in city parks, towns, and residential streets in the running.
Previous winners of the competition include the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian’s wall, which took the title in 2016 before it was felled in September 2023.
Jack Taylor, lead campaigner for woods under threat at Woodland Trust said:
“What an amazing and deserved winner! The sweet chestnut in Wrexham’s Acton Park is a symbol of resilience in the city having survived many storms and other threats. This almost 500-year-old giant is celebrated and loved by locals for its beauty and history and it now has the claim to fame of being a Tree of the Year winner. A true icon!”
The success for the city comes hot on the heels of Wrexham celebrating a return to league football. The sweet chestnut of Acton Park has become a reliable fixture in the landscape, withstanding many challenges during its half-millennium, from post-war plundering of the park for firewood in the forties to dozens of deadly storms, including that of 2021 when many neighbouring trees lost limbs or were toppled completely.
Hugh Jones, lead member of environment and technical department, Wrexham County Borough Council, said:
“Wrexham Council is delighted to have been awarded UK Tree of the Year 2023. We would like to thank the people of Wrexham and the wider population who took the time to vote. It goes to show that the Wrexham sweet chestnut has inspired people for so many years and is now getting some well-deserved recognition.”
13 trees were shortlisted for the competition in total, all of which were loved by locals and boast fascinating stories, including the holm oak in Devon which survived the destruction of the Exeter Blitz in 1942.
The Crouch Oak in Surrey, known as the Queen Elizabeth picnic tree after the monarch was said to have dined beneath it, placed second in the competition, accumulating 14% of the overall votes, whilst a twisted sweet chestnut in Greenwich Park, which was planted in King Charles II’s honour, finished close behind with 13% of votes.
Notes to editors
For more information, please email Ruby Nutting at rubynutting@woodlandtrust.org.uk or call 07808191346.
Final votes
- Sweet chestnut, Wrexham 17%
- Crouch Oak, Addlestone, Surrey 14%
- Greenwich Park sweet chestnut, London 13%
- Chelsea Road elm, Sheffield, South Yorkshire 9%
- Cathedral foxglove tree, Lichfield, Staffordshire 9%
- Library holm oak, Soisy Gardens, Westbury, Wiltshire 9%
- Highland Gateway walnut, Perth 9%
- Grantham Oak, Grantham, Lincolnshire 5%
- Lakeside holm oak, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire 4%
- Belvoir Oak, Belfast 4%
- Holm oak Blitz tree, Exeter, Devon 3%
- Plymouth pear, Plymouth, Devon 3%
- Manchester poplar, Manchester 2%
About the Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK. It has over 500,000 supporters. It wants to see a UK rich in native woods and trees for people and wildlife. The Trust has three key aims:
- protect ancient woodland which is rare, unique and irreplaceable
- restoration of damaged ancient woodland, bringing precious pieces of our natural history back to life
- plant native trees and woods with the aim of creating resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 29,000 hectares. Access to its woods is free so everyone can benefit from woods and trees.