Sizergh's Ancient Trees

Base of an ancient tree, which is gnarled and has hollows in, standing in a field next to a dry stone wall. — Ancient tree at Sizergh | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Standing proud on the estate for centuries, Sizergh’s ancient trees tell fascinating stories about the landscape.

Discover the stories of Sizergh’s ancient trees

From 6 September - 3 November, you'll find an exhibition showcasing Sizergh's ancient trees in the Great Barn. These trees, the oldest of which is about 2000 years old, can tell stories about the estate and the wildlife that makes its home here. Alongside the exhibition, you can take a self-led trail to marvel at some of these trees, or book your place on a free guided walk to hear about the trees from a knowledgeable volunteer.

If trees could talk

Sizergh's oldest tree is estimated to be an impressive 2000 years old. The tree has seen lots of significant Sizergh history – the marriage of Elizabeth Deincourt to Sir William de Stirkeland in 1239, when the estate passed into the hands of what became the Strickland family. Or the grant from Edward III in 1336, which allowed Sir Walter Strickland to enclose the land around Sizergh as his exclusive park. It lived through Roman Britain, the Norman conquest, the Black Death, and the Wars of the Roses.

A pair of 240-year-old chestnut trees may have breathed a sigh of relief – grown from seeds taken by Cecilia Strickland from Versailles in 1780, they escaped the upheaval of the 1789 revolution in France. In their more peaceful new home, they witnessed the industrial revolution and, along with the 150-year-old birch trees on Sizergh’s estate, two world wars. All of these trees bore witness to the gifting of Sizergh to the National Trust in 1950 by Thomas Hornyold-Strickland, and have been looked after by the Trust ever since.

Caring for Sizergh's veteran trees

Ancient trees host an extraordinary diversity and volume of life. The National Trust cares for more ancient and veteran trees than any other landowner in the world, so we have a particular responsibility to look after them in an exemplary standard!

At Sizergh we have over 400 ancient or veteran trees. We hope you'll join us to celebrate how incredible they are with this exhibition, and our programme of self-led and guided walks.

The exhibition is open 10am-5pm, from 6 September until 3 November, in the Great Barn. You can find the trail, which is self-led, on Sizergh’s website. Guided walks are each Monday, 11am-1pm – book your free place.