A TREE that stands in a Lake District wood is taller than Nelson's Column and 10 double decker buses stacked on top of each other.

The Grand Fir, growing in National Trust Skelghyll Woods, near Ambleside, has reclaimed its record as England's tallest tree of its kind - thanks to a growth spurt.

Despite being nearly 200 years old, the tree stands at 59.7 metres high. The record was held previously by a 58 metre high Grand Fir in County Durham.

Skelghyll Woods, an ancient semi-natural oak coppiced woodland in Ambleside, which the charity owns and looks after, when last measured 12 years ago stood at 57.8 metres tall.

It was measured last week by arborist Will Hicks, under the watchful eyes of the trust and officials from the Tree Register, which verified the measurement.

John Pring, the Trust’s countryside manager in the Lake District says the wetter, warmer weather over the last few years will have helped the Grand Fir to grow.

It is taller than local landmark, Ambleside Parish Church, and Nelson’s Column in London.

It would also tower over 10 double decker buses stacked on top of each other.

The National Trust estimates that the record-breaking Grand Fir has stored at least one tonne of carbon in its lifetime. That’s the equivalent of one person flying from Boston to London and back, says the charity.

Carrying the title of a champion tree, the Grand Fir has witnessed many historical events and survived many storms, including the worst to hit the Lake District, Storm Desmond (2015) and then Storm Arwen (2021).

Mr Pring, who helped to measure the Grand Fir in 2012, said: “It was likely to have been planted by Thomas Wrigley around 1860, as part of his Wansfell Holme country estate. At the time Victorians loved creating arboretums, to show off newly discovered trees, including conifers from the Americas. You can follow a trail and spot the Grand Fir and other special trees like pines and spruces,” added John.

Along with tenant farmers, the Trust looks after approximately 20 per cent of the Lake District. That includes nearly 6,000 ancient and champion trees, as well as areas of ancient woodlands, and wood pastures.

For instance:

  • ·The Borrowdale yews, which are at least 1,500 years old, and the subject of a poem by William Wordsworth.
  •  Beatrix Potter's Bramley apple tree planted and cared for by her at Hill Top near Hawkshead around 100 years ago.
  • A gigantic pear tree, a ‘Blakeney Red’, donated to the National Trust from the orchard of the company who use this variety to make Babycham. People can see it at Acorn Bank near Penrith
  • An ancient 2000-year old Yew tree and a pair of 240-year-old chestnut trees grown from seeds from Versailles, all on Sizergh’s estate near Kendal.
  •  The Borrowdale rainforest, which was declared a National Nature Reserve earlier this year (2024) in celebration of the coronation of King Charles. The Borrowdale rainforest is one of the few surviving examples of a temperate rainforest covering less than 1 per cent of the UK.

Visitors can follow National Trust tree trails at Ambleside, Aira Force near Ullswater, and High Close, in Langdale. Plus a new Ancient Trees exhibition has recently opened at Sizergh.