Bowthorpe Oak at Bowthorpe Park Farm near Bourne shortlisted for Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year award

One of the country’s biggest and oldest oaks is in the running for the title of tree of the year.

The majestic 1,000-year-old tree at Bowthorpe Park Farm near Bourne joins 11 other oaks shortlisted by a panel of experts from the Woodland Trust charity.

This year's national contest celebrates magnificent oaks across the UK, which all have centuries of history behind them.

With a girth of 13.4m, the Bowthorpe Oak is the second widest tree to make the shortlist.

It’s claimed three dozen people once managed to stand inside it and ancient graffiti marks its inner walls to tell the tale of bygone visitors.

Not only is it an incredible sight, but its hollow trunk also provides a perfect habitat for insects, birds and other animals.

Nowadays, it’s given the respect it deserves as a 1,000-year-old ancient tree and is fenced off to protect it from damage.

It was named one of 50 Great British Trees by the Tree Council in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

An online public poll will select the winner, which will be announced in October.

The best oak will go forward to represent the country in the European Tree of the Year contest early in 2025.

To vote for Bowthorpe Oak visit: https://tinyurl.com/VoteBowthorpe.

Will you be voting for the Bowthorpe Oak? Let us know in the comments.