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National Trust seeks help after losing more than 10,000 trees in Storm Eowyn

Sites across Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland have reported losses in the huge storm.

Tom Wilkinson
Wednesday 29 January 2025 12:23 GMT
Around 10,000 trees were lost at Mount Stewart, Northern Ireland, in Storm Eowyn, the National Trust has said (National Trust/PA)
Around 10,000 trees were lost at Mount Stewart, Northern Ireland, in Storm Eowyn, the National Trust has said (National Trust/PA)

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Storm Eowyn toppled more than 10,000 trees from National Trust properties, the conservation charity has said.

Winds of up to 100mph on Friday, coupled with heavy rain to soften the ground, caused the loss of historically important trees across Northern Ireland and northern England.

The National Trust for Scotland, a separate organisation, said each of the gardens it cares for in the south or west of the country has suffered damage.

The National Trust and its Scottish counterpart have appealed for donations to pay for the clean-up and recovery operation ā€“ which will include extensive replanting.

Northern Ireland, where a Red Warning was issued for the first time in its history, was worst affected by the storm.

Around 10,000 trees were lost at the 900-acre site at Mount Stewart, County Down, as it blew through the formal gardens, estate and woodlands.

At Rowallane Garden, in Saintfield, County Down, ā€œirreplaceable specimen treesā€ ā€“ some more than 250 years old ā€“ were lost, leaving areas of the estate ā€œalmost unrecognisableā€, the trust said.

In Northumberland, the losses at the estates at Cragside and Wallington were still being assessed as the bad weather continued into this week.

At Cragside, work was under way to remove a 150-year-old 45m tall tree which threatened to block a stream when it fell.

Among the losses at Wallington were 200-year-old beeches, which were planted as part of the original garden designs.

The National Trust for Scotland said at least 250 trees were lost across the popular Culzean Country Park.

Buildings were also damaged, including the roof of the Battle of Bannockburn visitor centre.

Sheila Das, the National Trustā€™s head of gardens and parks, said: ā€œOur ranger and garden teams are assessing the aftermath but itā€™s already clear weā€™ve lost some very significant and precious trees, which is hugely sad.

ā€œMature trees, some with veteran qualities and important histories, give such character to our gardens and they connect us to the people who planted them, as well as playing a vital role in the ecosystems of our landscapes.ā€

ā€œWe know climate change is making extreme storms like Eowyn more likely, posing a real threat to gardens and landscapes everywhere.

ā€œStorm Eowyn reminds us that the world is changing and that we need to adapt the places we care for, to ensure that people and nature can thrive.ā€

Philip Long, chief executive of the National Trust for Scotland, said: ā€œThe effect of Storm Eowyn has been devastating.

ā€œWhile at the Trust we are used to dealing with and plan for difficult weather conditions, the brutal force of Storm Eowyn has wrought unprecedented widespread damage to many of Scotlandā€™s most loved places.

ā€œOur teams have been working flat-out to make them safe for people again, but the job of repair, restoration and planting will take much longer, and we would be very grateful for peopleā€™s support of our charity in this.ā€

Donations can be made via the National Trust website to the Climate Action Appeal: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/climate-appeal.

The National Trust for Scotlandā€™s appeal can be found at https://www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/storm-appeal.

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