Rutland’s Historic "Bomber Oak" Shortlisted for Prestigious Woodland Trust Tree of the Year 2026
An extraordinary 180-year-old English oak tree standing on a family farm near Uppingham in Rutland has been officially shortlisted for the Woodland Trust’s prestigious Tree of the Year 2026 competition.
Centred around the theme of celebrating trees that have survived "against all odds," this year’s national contest highlights nature's most resilient icons.
From a distance, the Bomber Oak blends seamlessly into the rolling English countryside.
On 26 April 1945, in the closing weeks of the Second World War, a Lancaster Bomber returning British prisoners of war from Germany struck the top of the oak tree.
Decades after its brush with aviation history, the resilient tree faced an entirely different kind of danger. It was nearly lost when a water company, exercising statutory powers, laid plans to run utility pipes directly through the field.
Fortunately, fierce opposition from local residents including members of the family who have owned and farmed the land for generations intervened successfully.
Cast Your Vote Now
The Bomber Oak is joined on this year's elite shortlist by nine other incredible contenders from across the UK. These include a 4,000-year-old yew in Surrey embedded with an English Civil War cannonball, a downy birch clinging precariously to a County Durham cliff face, and Brighton’s ancient Preston Twin elm.
While an expert panel curated eight of the finalists, the competition highlights trees that prove stationary nature can display astonishing grit.
Public voting is now officially open to crown the champion of Tree of the Year 2026. Residents in Rutland and beyond are being encouraged to get behind the Bomber Oak and cast their votes.
Voting closes at 5:00 pm on 29 September, with the official winner set to be announced in October before moving forward to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year finals.
To read more about the contenders and cast your vote, visit the
Including Market Place, Market Street, Church Street, Crown Walk,
John Street, Melton Road and Deans Street and Gaol Street.
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