Christmas tree picked for perfection felled in Kielder Forest ahead of journey to Westminster

Our reporter Jonny Blair was at Kielder Forest for the cutting of the tree

A Christmas tree picked for perfection has been felled in Northumberland ahead of its journey to the heart of Westminster.

For more than 20 years, a giant tree has made its way from Kielder Forest to the Houses of Parliament for the festive period.

The Sitka spruce, which stands at 41ft and weighs three tonnes, was selected from 150 million trees by experts at Forestry England.

A Forestry England team cut down the tree on Wednesday (13 November). It will be wrapped up and prepped for its 330 mile trip to London in the coming days.

Richard Cooper, from Forestry England, said: “Felling this tree is a highlight of my year. It has to be just right, and it’s a great feeling to see it standing next to the Houses of Parliament."

Forestry England cuts down, wraps and loads the tree, ready for its long trip to London. Credit: PA

He continued: "Getting it safely from Northumberland to London is a skilful process, and I’m proud knowing that so many people will enjoy it in Westminster.”

The site has been supplying trees to stand at the foot of the Great Clock of Westminster, home to Big Ben, for more than two decades.

To ensure the process is sustainable, Forestry England selects it from an open area in the forest to allow ground plants to flourish.

The tree is one of 120 from Kielder Forest that are distributed across the UK for the festive season. Credit: PA

After Christmas, the tree will be chipped and reused in parks and green spaces across London.

This year’s tree is said to be around 40 years old and is one of 120 from Forestry England Kielder felled and distributed to towns and cities across the country.

Another 25ft tree has been delivered to Westminster Hall and a 12ft tree will stand in the Speaker’s House.

This year’s spruce was planted about 40 years ago. Credit: PA

While not all of them make it to the shadow of the Parliament Clock, other trees are shown off to places including Ipswich, Sheffield, and Stockton-on-Tees.

Kielder Forest is already preparing for future Christmases, planting thousands of seedlings to keep this tradition alive.

Richard added: “It’s incredible to think that a sapling planted today could be a future Christmas tree. The tree for 2063 might already be growing here, ready to spread joy for generations to come.”

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