A 500-YEAR-OLD oak tree in Monmouth is in the running to be crowned Woodland Trust Tree of the Year for 2022.

Tree experts at the Woodland Trust and members of the public have selected a shortlist of 12 trees from around the UK, all which have all been recorded on the Trust’s ‘hall of fame’, the Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI).

The annual Tree of the Year competition celebrates the Woodland Trust's panel-picked favourites - from an original cast of hundreds highlighted by eagle-eyed volunteers since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

The 'Rolls of Monmouth Oak' tree is the only tree from Wales to make the shortlist.

South Wales Argus:

It is situated on the Rolls of Monmouth golf course in Monmouthshire. Estimated to be around 500 years old, this incredible specimen is the largest on the Great Oaks golf course in the Rolls of Monmouth Estate.

Having lost most of its upper canopy, it has the typical squat form of an ancient oak growing in an open area.

The trunk is hollowing, with hulks of deadwood still retained, and the nooks and crannies, crevices and cracks in this spectacular oak provide an important haven for local wildlife.

Coed Cadw is encouraging the Welsh public to vote for the Rolls of Monmouth Oak as voting is now open via the Woodland Trust website until midday on Monday, October 31.

South Wales Argus:

The winner will be announced on Friday, November 4.

Competition judge and ATI lead Tom Reed said: “The enthusiasm for ancient and veteran trees and the growing number of records being submitted to the ATI in the past couple of years showed just how much people love and value their trees.

“We selected the trees based on their size and significance for their species and also looked for trees steeped in history as well as trees that had high ecological, aesthetic or cultural value. It’s over to the public to pick a favourite from that impressive list.”

Now in its eighth year, the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year competition highlights the importance of rare ancient and veteran trees, their role in fighting climate change and biodiversity loss in the UK, and why protecting them is vital for the future of the planet.

Oaks also support more wildlife than any other native tree species in the UK, with 329 species depending solely on oak trees for survival.

This year’s winner will go forward to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year 2023 contest.