Kielder Christmas tree arrives 'safely' in London

Forestry England have confirmed the 40-year-old tree from Kielder was safely delivered to London for its annual spotlight in New Palace Yard close to the Elizabeth Tower, the home of Big Ben.

The giant 43-foot Sitka spruce was selected by Forestry England experts from the 150 million growing in Kielder Forest.

It was picked for its fulsome foliage and eye-catching proportions.

Earlier in the month, the tree was carefully felled and delicately extracted from England’s biggest woodland.

It was then pulled through a mega-sized baler and wrapped for its protection before being hoisted onto a low loader for a 330-mile trip to the UK capital.

The tree that was picked was planted in 1982 and is one of 212 super-sized Kielder civic Xmas trees selected for prime locations in towns and cities across the UK this year including Manchester, Sheffield and Glasgow.

To ensure sustainability, seedlings from previously selected civic trees have been planted in the 63,000 hectare (155,000 acre) woodland. 

Forestry England is also supplying a 25-foot tree for medieval Westminster Hall and a 12-footer for the Speaker’s House.

Richard Cooper, Works Supervisor at Forestry England, says: “It’s great to see that the Westminster Christmas tree has safely completed its journey from Kielder Forest to the Houses of Parliament.

"It’s not a small task to transport a 43ft tree from Northumberland to London but it looks fantastic, a real symbol of the Christmas season.”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, said: “Like so many people, I cannot wait for this year’s normal Christmas – and seeing the arrival of the tree in Parliament means the festivities can begin. 

‘We are very grateful to Forestry England for donating the tree – and to keep the anticipation going, we will be waiting until December 5 for the big switch on and carol service. This will also give me a chance to thank everyone for their hard work during a particularly momentous year.”