And the winners are... Find out who won our Ancient Tree Photography Competition

Ancient and veteran trees are nature’s champions, gracing our landscapes for centuries and hosting incredible wildlife. To honour the West of England’s ancient trees, we launched a photography competition, made possible thanks to the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund, to celebrate these remarkable landmarks and habitats.

Many submissions shared personal connections with the trees. Some found comfort and companionship in them during tough times, while others described them as cherished landmarks on family walks, entwined with traditions and memories.

What stood out was how deeply these trees resonate—not just as homes to wildlife or landscape features, but as anchors to our past, emotions, and stories. As one entrant reflected: “I felt quite humbled kneeling beneath him, considering his tremendous age and all the many others who have looked upon him.”

For more information on how to find and identify ancient trees near you, visit the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory below.

Tree 1, Fence 0 by Claire S

This beautifully detailed picture from Henbury, Bristol features a historic iron fence intertwined with an old Oak tree’s bark – symbolising the tree’s connection to the past while also highlighting its vital role as an important habitat today.⁠

Enchanted Oak by Peter W

Peter’s brilliantly captured dark oak showcases some of the features of ancient trees including plenty of dead wood that’s such an important habitat for so many plants and animals.

Winner - Celebrating Our Ash Trees

Golden Hour by Hannah S

This beautiful shot was taken in Langridge, near Bath. ⁠The judges loved the composition, light and clarity of the image as well as the distinctive functional columns in a recognisably traditional landscape. These contribute to a poignant atmosphere when contemplating the devastating effect ash die-back disease is having on the nation’s ash trees.

Winner - Treetops and Under 10s

Umbrella by Muadh H.

This atmospheric rendering of a remnant beech at Tyntesfield gained the first prize for its moody, view through the branches.

Chilled by Adrian CH

Our ‘Seasons’ category was won with this frosty submission, with the tree beautifully captured reflecting in the water below. The judges could almost smell the crisp winter air!

Family Tree by Danielle T

This super family photo epitomises the enjoyment all ages can have from being with trees and nature. The judges loved the colours and the way the tree frames a whole family.

Winner - Where Trees Live

Ashton Chestnut by Michael B.

The judges loved the timeless quality of this photograph – it could have easily have been taken a hundred years ago and demonstrates beautifully the enduring sense of place and priceless contribution trees make to our landscape heritage.

Spotted on a Spring Bud by Thom L

The detail captured in this photo wonderfully represents the importance of trees to creatures great and small.

Bark World by Alex S.

The angle and focus of this photo provides an unusual and eye catching perspective.

Tall by Harry R.

The judges liked Harry’s black and white study. The slightly unfocused depiction gives it a translucent, almost ‘other-wordly’ quality.

Ancient Oak by Angus R

The sepia-like quality of this photo provides us with a lovely image of possibly the mightiest oak in our region.

Runner Up - Where Trees Live

Yew at Bath Cemetery by Adrian CH

This ancient yew is beautifully captured in the traditional cemetery setting in this small, quiet wooded area in Bath.

Runner Up - Seasons

Snow on the Beech by Thom L

The judges love the WOW factor of this photo. It brilliantly captures the unique allure of trees and the spell they cast over us.

Runner Up - Where Trees Live

Giant Valley by Katie L.

The judges loved the composition of this scene and the evidence of historical arboricultural practices shown in this photo. There’s lots going on from the roots in the stony shallow soil, the walled-up hollow, and remnants of rope swings in the branches, and people in the background.

Split Ash by Claire B

This photo demonstrates powerfully that there is still grace and dignity in these ancient trees even when they are in decline.

Bark Whorld by Saf G

The judges admired the amazing focused detail in perspective with this ancient old oak tree, captured in a beautiful light.

I Wonder by Kristian M

This ancient oak is a great example of the majesty of these incredible trees.

Gnarled Old Man by Tony T

The colours and detail of the ancient tree features on this tree won it a special mention.

Runner-Up - Treetops

"Sky Through Branches" by Adrian CH

The tracery of the tree canopies and the interjection of the ash stem make this a striking image.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in our competition and for sharing your experiences with us.

For more information on how to find and identify ancient trees near you, visit the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory. This photography competition has been made possible thanks to the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund.

Follow us and get involved

Join Our Community

Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest opportunities for tree planting grants and volunteering events

DonateDonate