Local schoolchildren celebrate Tree of the Year at Acton Park
An event to celebrate a 480-year-old Sweet Chestnut in Acton Park being crowned Tree of the Year has been held by local schoolchildren.
Pupils at Borras Park Primary school and the North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT) joined together to hold the celebration, which involved collecting nuts from the tree to grow in NWWT nurseries.
They will eventually be replanted across Wrexham and North Wales to ensure the tree and it’s heritage will be preserved for future generations.
The tree, an iconic feature in Acton Park, was crowned the winning tree in the Woodland Trust competition.
Previous winners of the competition include the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian’s wall, which took the title in 2016 before it was felled in September 2023.
The tree in the heart of Acton Park is well loved by locals for its history, value and beauty – with the tree measuring an impressive circumference of 6.1m and a height of 24m. This suggests that the tree has been standing for around 480 years.
It has withstood many challenges during its half-millennium, from post-war plundering of the park for firewood in the forties to dozens of deadly storms, including that of 2021 when many neighbouring trees lost limbs or were toppled completely.
Sarah Ellis Living Landscapes Officer for the North Wales Wildlife Trust, said: “It is fantastic to engaging with local councils, communities and schools who all come together to celebrate and conserve these spectacular giants of our landscape for both wildlife and future generations.
“This day of gathering chestnuts will allow us to grow more of these spectacular trees to plant back into our landscapes across North Wales.”
Trees are well-known and celebrated in Wrexham; Wrexham Borough County Council has made its own public ‘Woodland Pledge’ to help protect trees and woodlands across the county borough.
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