A mighty oak tree, at least 500 years old, on the famous Gregynog Estate in mid-Wales has been nominated as the Welsh entry for the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year competition.

The ancient oak measures a massive nine metres at its widest point and is the only tree from Wales nominated for the British competition.

People can now vote for the Gregynog Oak online.

Important habitat

The tree stands in the Great Wood in Gregynog and is competing with 11 other impressive oaks from across the UK. Voting is open until 21 October at 23:59. The Woodland Trust will announce this year’s UK winner on 29 October. The winner will go on to compete in the European Tree of the Year competition.

Gregynog Hall, one of Wales’ finest country estates, is located on the edge of the village of Tregynon near Newtown and is now managed by the Gregynog Trust. The 750-acre estate is designated as a National Nature Reserve and is considered one of the most important ancient park and woodland pasture habitats in Wales

Lydia Bassett, the Trust’s Business Development Director, said: “The magnificent Gregynog Oak stands alongside several enormous trees in the Great Wood in the grounds of Gregynog Hall.

“We are delighted to have been nominated for Tree of the Year in Wales. The Gregynog Oak is a wonderful reminder of the estate’s incredible history since the first house was built here in the 12th century.

“Our forest is a site of special scientific interest and of global importance. It is home to rare lichens in the old oak forest as well as redstarts, pied flycatchers and three species of woodpecker.

“Gregynog Trust, a charity which took over management of the hall and estate from the University of Wales in 2019, is working with Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust to study the exceptional biodiversity on the estate.

“The woodland surrounding the hall has just been given the status of part of the Welsh National Forest.

“The impressive Gregynog Oak, thought to be at least 500 years old, is home to countless species, including important lichens. Over the years, many distinguished visitors to the Hall have admired this incredible tree, including perhaps Gustav Holst, George Bernard Shaw and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. From the Hall, a footpath leads through the Great Wood to the Gregynog Oak.”

Cultural center

The estate is open daily and has miles of woodland walks to explore, as well as an excellent cafe. A £3 parking fee helps to maintain the gardens and woodland.

Gregynog Hall is best known as the home of sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, remarkable Welsh women who had the revolutionary vision of creating what would become a true cultural and artistic centre in Wales.

At a young age they amassed one of the greatest art collections of the 20th century. In 1951 and 1963 they bequeathed 260 paintings and sculptures by Old Masters, British artists of the 18th and 19th centuries, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to the National Museum of Wales, completely changing the character, quality and scope of the museum’s art collection.

The sisters’ achievements and the events at Gregynog have left their mark on the history of Wales. They helped to establish a national university, the founding of the Arts Council of Great Britain, a national library, a national museum, made great strides in improving public health and the Council of the League of Nations.