Bendy elm still standing against all odds crowned UK tree of the year

Hundred-and-fifty-year-old Wych elm in Newcastle, Co Down has grown sideways owing to strong winds

The “astonishing and bizarre” Bendy Tree in Northern Ireland has been crowned the winner of this year’s tree of the year competition.

The wych elm tree, located in Newcastle, County Down, owes its name to its near horizontal trunk, which has grown sideways owing to the strong seaside winds coming off the Irish Sea.