The estate’s towering giant redwood – standing an extraordinary 44.7 metres tall – has now been officially recognised as the World’s Tallest Bedded Christmas Tree. This remarkable tree, which has grown at Cragside for more than 150 years, has been transformed into a breathtaking festive centrepiece decorated with almost 800 metres of lights.
Garth Dearden, Senior Forest Manager at Tilhill Forestry, was invited to serve as an independent verifier, supporting the official Guinness World Records measurement of the tree. His forestry expertise contributed to the verification process required before the tree’s record-breaking status could be confirmed.
“Being asked to contribute to such a unique and exciting project has been a real privilege,” said Garth Dearden. “Trees like this connect people to landscape, heritage and the wonder of the natural world, and helping verify its world-record status was a wonderful way to celebrate the season.”
The decoration process, involving two full days of work and a cherry-picker to reach its incredible height, will feature in the upcoming BBC programme Christmas Treasures of the National Trust, airing on 19 December on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Tilhill Forestry congratulates the National Trust on this remarkable achievement and is delighted to have played a part in bringing this festive moment to life.
