Lincolnshire and Sheffield make Tree of the Year shortlist

A protective surface and barrier was installed to keep The Grantham Oak safe from harm, the Woodland Trust said

A Lincolnshire oak tree which survived a wartime bomb and one of the UK's most famous elms are in the running to be crowned Tree of the Year 2023.

Conservation charity the Woodland Trust has selected 12 trees across the UK using a team of experts and the public.

The Grantham Oak and Sheffield's Chelsea Road Elm are two of the dozen candidates selected from parks, town centres and residential streets.

Naomi Tilley from the Trust said the shortlisted trees were "remarkable".

Ms Tilley, lead campaigner at the Woodland Trust, said ancient trees in towns and cities were "vital for the health of nature, people and planet.

"But most ancient trees aren't protected by law, and those in urban areas are particularly vulnerable, like one of this year's nominees - which narrowly escaped being cut down by Sheffield City Council in 2017."

The Woodland Trust said Sheffield's Chelsea Road Elm was home to the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, a species that has declined 93% since the 1970s

A spokesperson for the Trust said The Grantham Oak was more than 500 years old with a girth of 23ft (7.02m).

They said the tree which "towered" above a quiet residential street, predated the surrounding houses by several centuries.

Meanwhile, they said the Chelsea Road Elm, in Sheffield, was one of the UK's most famous elms with fewer than 1,000 of the species still standing after Dutch elm disease wiped out over 60 million of them.

The spokesperson said the Sheffield tree was "fortunately resistant" to the disease and was also home to the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, which had saved it from the chop during Sheffield City Council's felling programme.

The winning tree is set to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year competition and would be announced on 19 October, the Woodland Trust said.

Other trees on the shortlist

• Greenwich Park sweet chestnut, London

• Holm oak blitz tree, Exeter, Devon

• Cathedral foxglove tree, Lichfield, Staffordshire

• Lakeside holm oak, Leamington Spa

• Crouch oak, Addlestone, Surrey

• Gorton Park poplar, Manchester

• Plymouth pear, Plymouth, Devon

• Sweet chestnut, Wrexham

• Highland Gateway walnut, Perth

• Belvoir oak, Belfast