The Bowthorpe Oak, near Bourne, takes third place in Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year award

An ancient oak has come up just short of finishing top of the tree in a national nature award.

The Bowthorpe Oak, which stands proudly at Bowthorpe Park Farm, near Bourne, came third in the Woodland Trust’s UK Tree of the Year competition.

The pedunculate oak, which is believed to be more than 1,000 years old, was up against 11 other oaks for the arboreal accolade and received 14 per cent of the 18,000 votes.

Skipinnish Oak, from Lochaber, in the Scottish Highlands, won with 21 per cent and now goes up against the Continent’s best for the title of European Tree of the Year. The Darwin Oak of Shrewsbury was pipped to the prize with 20 per cent.

It is not the first time the grand old Lincolnshire tree has come in for recognition, having finished fifth in the competition in 2016.

And in 2002 it was named one of fifty Great British Trees by the Tree Council to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.

While one of the UK’s widest trees at 13.3m, the Bowthorpe Oak’s trunk is hollow and acts an important habitat for wildlife.

The competition aims to highlight the importance of trees to our landscapes and lives, particularly in combating climate change and biodiversity loss, and, this year, is part of the Trust’s campaign to get legal protection for the nation’s oldest specimens.