Press Release
THE CROWN ESTATE CLAIMS ENGLAND’S TALLEST TREE
3 April 2009
One of Dunster Forest’s giant firs has been measured at over 60 metres, confirming it as the tallest tree in England.
The Douglas fir, which is on The Crown Estate’s Dunster estate, was this week climbed by a team of visiting arborists (tree specialists) from Sparsholt College in Hampshire. The students used specialist climbing techniques to get within five metres of the top of the tree. A tape measure was then raised to the very tip of the tree on a pole, before being dangled back down to the ground to give an accurate reading.
Andy Player, Countryside Manager at The Crown Estate said: “I invited Sparsholt College to Dunster after they had recently completed a tour of Scotland looking for Britain’s tallest tree. I knew we had England’s tallest tree, but it had only been measured from ground level, and this was an exciting opportunity to get the height confirmed in the most accurate way possible”.
The result has been verified by the Tree Register, which also confirmed that the Dunster estate is home to England’s tallest magnolia tree.
Andy Player added: “The trees are located in the bottom of a valley, on moist, fertile soils, so they get drawn up rapidly as they compete for light. The combination of these factors, with the wet and mild climate that we experience in this part of the world, means that we have a whole stand of giants ready to compete for the title in future years – and who knows maybe even challenge their Welsh and Scottish counterparts.”
The tall trees will soon be the subject of a new all abilities access trail, which will from summer enable visitors to get up close to the trees to appreciate their size and enjoy the spectacular Dunster forest. The trail will be opened in the summer and will include information to help people have fun and learn more about the significance of the trees and their surroundings.
The Dunster estate comprises 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of the West Somerset countryside, from rolling moor to the sea. The majority of the estate lies within Exmoor National Park.
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