Grantham's iconic oak tree comes second in national Tree of the Year competition
An iconic oak tree which has grown for centuries in Grantham has had to settle for second place in a competition to find England’s Tree of the Year.
The large oak tree in Belton Lane was up against nine other nominated trees in The Woodland Trust competition.
It was beaten to top spot by The Happy Man Tree in Hackney, a plane tree which is currently earmarked for felling to make way for a housing development.
The future of the Grantham oak had looked insecure for a while before work took place last year. The Woodland Trust said: “Plonked in a suburban street, this giant was here centuries before its neighbours.
"Last year its future looked doubtful due to groundworks near its roots. But thanks to a groundswell of support from the local council and campaigners, works have taken place to add a cordon and protective surface around the tree so it can outlive us all.”
Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of The Woodland Trust, said: “We had more than double the number of trees nominated by members of the public this spring compared to past years. This is perhaps no surprise given that lockdown had so many of us slowing down and taking more note of nature on our doorsteps.”