A ‘knobbly’ ash tree with character that has survived numerous floods is located on the north bank of the River Derwent, Cockermouth with Jennings brewery and the Cocker confluence seen in the background.

‘The tree has such character, a bit like some of us mature members of the Civic Trust. The tree and us may have crinkly skin and a few warts but what tales we could tell. We survived floods, pestilence and fear of the future, but like the tree, we will keep on going and just like the tree, when the time is right, we will burst out in leaf and growth and flourish. 

Perhaps Jennings could have a new beer with old crinkly on the label, like us oldies and Cockermouth, loved, warts and all’

Note that the photo chosen is ‘winter season’ to emphasise its character without leaves.

Cockermouth & District Civic Trust. Results of Vote for our Favourite Tree. June 2020

Each year the Woodland Trust ask people throughout the country to nominate their favourite tree to be considered for the English ‘Tree of the Year’. 2020 is no exception with the selection criteria being ‘trees that are visually stunning, a beacon of hope in uncertain times, or a specimen with a great history’. Using this theme, the Civic Trust decided to ask our members to nominate and then vote for their favourite tree in Cockermouth and District.

We received 13 nominations of 10 different species – ash, hawthorn, birch, cedar, oak, yew, cherry, beech, sycamore and horse chesnut. This perhaps emphasises the variety of trees in our locality. Additionally, one member said that their favourite type of tree was the rowan, but didn’t actually nominate one. 

A total of 27 votes were cast, spread across 9 of the nominations. The winning entry with 7 votes, 26% of the total, is the knobbly ash tree on the River Derwent in the Memorial Gardens.