The Woodland Trust has submitted an oak tree in Belvoir Park for their annual contest. It is said to be one of Northern Ireland's oldest trees and has the largest nominated tree by girth at over eight metres.

Every finalist was picked because it is in an area that is free to explore, and this year's subject is “ancient trees in urban settings.”

The nonprofit organisation, the largest woodland conservation trust in the UK devoted to saving rare and valuable forests, chose the 12 finalists. A jury of judges will select the winner, and the public will vote for one extra finalist.

The Trust states that it is “difficult to estimate its age with confidence” but that the Belfast tree is likely well over 500 years old.

The enormous oak is acknowledged as a piece of Northern Ireland's living legacy, according to the organisation, “having witnessed Belfast's growth from a small settlement to the city it is today.”

With a tree that survived the Blitz of World War II and another that withstood Manchester's industrial revolution, which mostly devastated the town's natural forestry, the Belvoir tree will have tough competition in the finals for the prize.

Voting for the 2023 Tree of the Year is underway until Sunday, October 15th. The winner will be announced in late October.