13 November 02
A special tree from Forestry England Kielder heads to Westminster
This Christmas, a beautiful tree from Forestry England Kielder is making a 330-mile journey to stand beside the Houses of Parliament, bringing festive cheer to the heart of Westminster.
One of Kielder Forest’s 150 million trees, the 40-foot Sitka spruce was carefully selected by experts at Forestry England for its perfect shape and impressive size. This iconic tree will stand at the foot of the Houses of Parliament throughout the festive period.
Once the tree has been chosen, Forestry England’s skilled team carefully cuts down the tree to prevent any damage to its branches. It’s then wrapped, loaded, and ready for its long trip to London.
To ensure the tree is as sustainable as possible, Forestry England selects it from an open area in the forest to allow ground plants flourish. After Christmas, the tree will be chipped and reused in London’s parks and green spaces, continuing to benefit the environment.
Richard Cooper, Beat Forester at Forestry England, said:
“Felling this tree is a highlight of my year. It has to be just right, and it’s a great feeling to see it standing next to the Houses of Parliament. Getting it safely from Northumberland to London is a skilful process, and I’m proud knowing that so many people will enjoy it in Westminster.”
This year’s spruce, which started life about 40 years ago, is one of 120 trees from Forestry England Kielder that will bring Christmas cheer across the UK, with others heading to places including Ipswich, Sheffield, and Stockton-on-Tees. Another 25ft tree has been delivered to Westminster Hall and a 12ft tree will stand in the Speaker’s House.
Kielder Forest is already preparing for the future, planting thousands of seedlings to keep this tradition alive and to supply timber locally.
Richard added:
“It’s incredible to think that a sapling planted today could be a future Christmas tree. The tree for 2063 might already be growing here, ready to spread joy for generations to come.”
Notes to Editor
- Images are available here. Please credit Forestry England/Crown copyright.
- Interview available on request.
- Forestry England manages and cares for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests, with over 285 million visits in 2023/24. As England’s largest land manager, we shape landscapes and enhance forests for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and businesses to grow. We are continuing the work we have already started to make the nation’s forests resilient to climate change and by 2026 we will:
- create at least 6,000 more hectares where we integrate wilding activities in our productive forests
- increase the diversity of visitors to the nation’s forests and have one million hours of high-quality volunteer time given to the nation’s forests
- plant at least 2,000 hectares of new, high quality, predominantly broadleaf woodlands
For more information visit forestryengland.uk. Forestry England is an agency of the Forestry Commission.
Media contact:
Rebecca Ulewicz, Media Relations Officer | media@forestryengland.uk | t: 07771 971813