Northern Ireland's Bendy Tree wins UK Tree of the Year
The Bendy Tree, a wind-bent elm in Newcastle, County Down, has won the UK Tree of the Year with 31% of 20,000 votes after surviving storms and Dutch elm disease.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A wind-bent elm in Newcastle, County Down, has won the UK Tree of the Year award.
The tree, known locally as the Bendy Tree, has grown sideways because of strong winds on Northern Ireland's east coast. It is around 150 years old and was one of 10 planted to protect the town's promenade. It has endured harsh sea winds and survived Dutch elm disease. It is now described as the last sentinel standing, keeping wind from people using the bus stop below its boughs.
It was chosen because it summed up the competition's theme of against the odds. The Woodland Trust's Tree of the Year contest highlights trees as vital parts of the landscape. This year's entries were noted for standing strong despite extreme growing conditions.
The Bendy Tree took 31 per cent of 20,000 votes. A yew tree in Surrey came second. It has survived for 4,000 years, been hollowed out and even withstood cannon fire.
The elm is also a local landmark. It is a common photo opportunity and was a meeting point in the town before mobile phones. One local said people would arrange to meet under the Bendy Tree because everyone knew where it was. 'It's right in the middle of town, so it was a sort of meeting point,' the person said. 'So it's very special, and then us managed to survive storms, disease, people, and it's still here.'
Supporters said the result shows that life can persist and grow under the harshest storms. The tree has been described as bent, beaten but never broken. 'Proves something, doesn't it? Just because it's bent doesn't fall,' one person said.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| The Bendy Tree is a witch elm that has leaned at an unusual angle for about 150 years. | |
| The Bendy Tree received 31% of 20,000 votes to win the UK Tree of the Year award. | |
| The Bendy Tree was one of 10 trees planted to protect the town's promenade and survived Dutch elm disease. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1's Evening News treated the win as a warm, human-interest feature near the end of the bulletin. It focused on the tree's resilience, its history in Newcastle, County Down, and its role as a local meeting point, with reporter Kieran McFadden on location. It also noted the runner-up yew in Surrey, but gave most time to the Bendy Tree and the Woodland Trust competition.
- “Bent, beaten, but never broken.”
- “Just because it's bent doesn't fall.”
- “I'll meet you under the Bendy Tree”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.