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The Bendy Tree, a wych elm on the seafront promenade in Newcastle, County Down, has been named UK Tree of the Year 2026 by the Woodland Trust, with the result announced on 8 October 2026. It is the first Northern Irish tree to win the UK title.
Where the Bendy Tree stands
The tree grows on the promenade at Newcastle, a seaside town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a recognisable part of the front, with its trunk running almost level before it lifts, and it gives shade over a bench beneath it. Locals and visitors use the name “Bendy Tree” for it, and that is the name the Woodland Trust uses in its announcement.
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Why it is bent
The shape is the result of wind. According to the Woodland Trust, strong coastal winds blowing over many decades pushed the trunk into a near-horizontal arch. Trees exposed to prevailing sea winds often grow lopsided or leaning, but the Bendy Tree’s curve is unusually pronounced, which is why it stands out from other elms on the coast.
How old it is and where it came from
The Woodland Trust describes the tree as more than 150 years old. It was planted as part of a row of wych elms along the original promenade, and the trust places that planting likely in the mid-19th century. Both the age and the planting date are estimates. No exact planting year has been recorded in the trust’s material, so treat “over 150 years” as the working figure.
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Dutch elm disease and the elms that were lost
The tree’s survival matters because of what happened to elms across the UK. The Woodland Trust’s 2026 announcement says the second UK outbreak of Dutch elm disease destroyed most of the country’s 30 million elms. The fungus that causes the disease was accidentally imported from North America in the 1960s. The 30 million figure is the trust’s total for trees destroyed in that outbreak; it is not a newly measured annual statistic.
The trust says the Bendy Tree resisted the disease. That is its description of the tree’s history, not a health assessment. Nothing in the announcement shows that the tree is genetically immune, and nothing in it describes the tree’s current condition. Elms in exposed places can still face disease and other risks, so the tree’s continued survival should not be taken for granted.
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The redevelopment that left one tree
The promenade once had a longer row of these elms. Many of the trees were felled during redevelopment of the promenade in the 1980s. The Bendy Tree is now the last one standing from that row, which is central to how the trust tells its story.
The vote and the shortlist
The 2026 competition used the theme “Against the odds.” The shortlist included ten trees chosen by an expert panel, plus two trees put forward by the public.
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- Bendy Tree (winner): 31% of the vote, according to the Woodland Trust competition page. The trust’s press release describes it as more than 30% of public votes.
- Crowhurst Yew (runner-up): 22% of the vote, according to the competition page.
These are the organiser’s figures and have not been independently audited. Parliamentary remarks made on 21 September 2026 already described the Bendy Tree as shortlisted, which fits the timeline: the shortlist came first, and the winner was announced on 8 October.
What comes next
RTÉ reports that the Bendy Tree is expected to represent the UK at the European Tree of the Year finals in 2027. Dates and the list of participating countries for that competition may change, so the 2027 participation should be read as a current expectation rather than a confirmed entry.
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How readers can take part
The Woodland Trust encourages people to add notable local trees to its Ancient Tree Inventory, and its material also invites donations to its work. Anyone who knows of a large, unusual or historic tree near them can submit it through the trust’s inventory. Readers who want to see the Bendy Tree in person can visit the seafront at Newcastle, County Down.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The trust’s own words capture why the tree has resonated. As May Chemais, Ancient Tree Inventory lead for the Woodland Trust, put it: “When you look at this astonishing and bizarre tree, there’s no doubt about what it has endured.” She added: “We’ve all been through changes and hardships that have shaped who we are: I think that’s why the Bendy Tree has struck a chord with people.”
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