VARIOUS trees have been selected as favourites in the Cockermouth area.

Cockermouth and District Civic Trust wanted to find the top trees. The winner was a large ash tree in Memorial Gardens which has survived various floods.

The trust asked members to select their favourites, having been inspired by a national competition run by the Woodland Trust.

Chairman Phil Campbell said: “Each year the Woodland Trust ask people throughout the country to nominate their favourite tree. 2020 is no exception with the selection criteria being ‘trees that are visually stunning, a beacon of hope in uncertain times, or a specimen with a great history’.

“Using this theme, the Civic Trust asked our members to nominate and then vote for their favourite tree in Cockermouth and District.”

The nominations covered 10 different species – ash, hawthorn, birch, cedar, oak, yew, cherry, beech, sycamore and horse chesnut.

“This perhaps emphasises the variety of trees in our locality,” said Mr Campbell.

“It’s perhaps not surprising that the superb ash tree by the river in the Memorial Gardens won through.

“The photograph that was submitted for the winning tree was devoid of leaves, partly reflecting the season that it was taken but also to demonstrate its knobbly character.

“Taking my walks around the Cockermouth area since we decided to seek members’ views on their favourite trees, has really highlighted to me how many superb specimens there are here and what a variety of trees that we have.

“This has made it exceedingly difficult to pick out individual trees that are a cut above the rest. I think other people have found the same and have therefore focused on character, which is clearly demonstrated in both the favourite and second favourite trees.”

The winning tree is a riverside ‘knobbly’ ash tree with character that has survived numerous floods.

A solitary hawthorn in the middle of a field, west of Papcastle, came second.

Joint third went to a mature oak tree on the corner of Oaktree Crescent and Isel Road Cockermouth and a copper beech in the parkland round the drive to Wood Hall, Bridekirk.