A COUNTY DURHAM estate has had some new additions to its parkland in the form of oak, crab apple and rowan, lime and birch.

Teesdale Heritage Trees surveyed the trees for Wendy and Alec Cowan, the new owners of Almora Hall, Middleton St George, secured felling consent and supplied and planted the trees.

Following Tree Preservation Order planning consent from Darlington Borough Council, seven trees were felled and the landowner offered to plant 28 as replacements, three of which were substantial specimen trees of Scots pine, red horse chestnut and Norway maple.

The tree stock, grown in Staindrop by Teesdale Heritage Trees, is from seeds gathered from veteran and champion trees across County Durham.

The oak is from a 6.7m girth tree at Winston, the crab apple is from the UK champion tree at Croxdale and the Rowan is from the UK Champion Rowan at Cotherstone – now sadly blown down.

The oak tree is so big it has featured on the Ordnance Survey maps since 1854 – a rare feat.