We Love Trees: Tree Festival Photographic Competition 2026

Simon Heaton | I love these trees in Court Meadow standing proudly in the middle of winter showing their silhouetted branches against the rising morning sun. | Lime trees in Court meadow, Mayfield, East Sussex | ///cluttered.spires.mocked

Julia Culp | Beech Trees in autumn | The Stanmer Park trees were wonderful in the autumn with their golden leaves and branches swooping down towards the ground. It was like being under a golden umbrella standing beneath them. | Stanmer Park, Brighton, East Sussex.

SECOND PRIZE WINNER | Jane Tanner | Under the roots | This tenacious beech tree is growing in difficult conditions, close to the sea in dry, sandy soil; it’s roots reaching down and around for sustenance. Appearing to grow out of the rock itself, the tree helps to protect this unique location and offers shade to weary travellers. | Fairlight Glen Hastings, Grid Reference 50.86670756654144, 0.6299406122115211

Ilona Sharpe | Using black and white imagery, I hoped to capture a timeless atmosphere at this key ancient Downs site. I wanted to imagine how the ancient people of this area might have experienced this landscape and the trees, inspiring their myths and legends. The mist helps strip away the modern world, revealing a history we can step into. | These trees are off the path at the top of Chanctonbury Ring. Off Chanctonbury Ring road, Steyning, BN44 3DN | ///tenses.manicured.amends

Mandy Turner | Lonely trees on route to Eastbourne along the South Downs way. | East Sussex, BN25

Cheryl Appleby | Lightning Oak | This stunning oak is a landmark for all the houses that have the privilege of backing onto the field and woodland. The story is that the tree was struck by lightning many years ago, but despite being dead for decades, it has become a symbol of resilience and strength. | Near Burwash, East Sussex ///after.fencing.bitter

Paul Penkith | When the weather broke after the wettest winter on record getting outside for a much needed reconnection with nature, these beautiful trees lifted my mood and added to my wellbeing. For me these trees symbolise rebirth, growth and new beginnings. | Shemonbury, North of Henfield, West Sussex

Paul O’Prey | Kingley Vale, Yew | This tree is at the heart of the Kingley Vale yew forest which according to legend was planted over a thousand years ago to mark a victory over Viking raiders. In World War Two the trees were used for target practice by allied fighter planes. Today it is a calm and silent glade, and a place for reflection. | Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve, Funtington, Chichester, East Sussex PO18 9B

Kay Kempton | I spend a lot of time in Hove Park. Every March the white blossom trees burst into flower. From the Parkrun runners, to the dog walkers and footballers on the pitch, everyone talks about how beautiful the trees look. If you happen to be in the park after dark they look like clouds floating above the ground. They bring joy to everyone in the park. | Hove Park, Shoreham Road, Hove BN3 6BG

Alexander Brattell | My son took me to Hastings to show me his favourite tree where he and his friends would gather when schools were closed during the Covid pandemic. | East Hill, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 5NX

Qiuyu E | Photographed following Poppy Day, this ancient tree evokes bittersweet emotions. Amidst current global unrest, seeing roses nestled in its resilient trunk feels deeply poignant. It connects past remembrance with present anxieties, standing as a living monument that urges us to remember, reflect, and cherish peace. | St. Leonards Gardens, St Leonards -On-Sea, East Sussex, TN38 0HQ

Annette Radford | Gravity of the Fallen 1914 - 2025 | A sad and poignant sight as two, centenarian Bramley Apple trees planted out in the Summer 1914 and just toppled during autumn storms of 2025 are captured transitioning to their final harvest. An apple-tree phenomenon, where a veteran tree in its dying days bows out with a last, rallying effort to produce a massive crop of apples. | The Old Orchard, Stanmer Park, Brighton

David Parkinson | These trees, with their twisted trunks and branches reaching out, create their own atmosphere of solitude and resilience. I feel they reflect the stillness and the mystery of Cissbury Ring, and a connection to something older than the surrounding landscape. | Cissbury Ring, Near Findon, North of Worthing, BN14 0HT,

WINNER | Louis Champion | Frosty Morning | This small row of oaks is visible from our front door. They have featured in my photography many times over the seasons. The light on this frosty winter morning was particularly soft. | Henfield, West Sussex ///distorts.enter.audibly

Gail Hart | Farewell | Despite its demise the surrounding trees seem to hold the remains of one fallen in reverence, it symbolises the respect we are hoping to inspire for the life of our Sussex Trees. We know that trees interconnect and communicate with one another and when I came across this patch of woodland with the remains of a Coastal Redwood Tree surrounded by others, I was struck by thoughts of farewell and respect. | Between Pulborough and Washington off the South Downs Way Walk, West Sussex

Andy Gray | Bluebell Forêt | A winding path through a sea of bluebells and towering ancient trees. This woodland scene feels almost unreal, like something pulled straight from a storybook. The soft colours, quiet atmosphere, and endless blanket of flowers make it the perfect reminder of how incredible nature can be when left untouched. Sometimes the most beautiful places are the ones that make you slow down and simply take it all in.

Karolyn Mnich | Suddenly a thick mist descended over St Mary de Haura churchyard in Shoreham and it became quite magical. This is always a special tranquil place to sit among the different trees in the centre of our town. | St Mary de Haura churchyard, Shoreham, East Sussex

Steve Eckhart | Swamp Cypress | This tree stood out to me on a beautiful Autumn day and provided a great reflection of itself standing proud in the surrounding water. | In the pond on a small island at Petworth Park, GU28 9LR

Rebecca Sinker | Copper Beech bursting into leaf under starry skies in April.| Alexandra Park, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2LD (near the bandstand and cafe)

Mark Forrester | Over the years, the salt-laden winds have shaped the Hawthorn, and yet still it hangs on, framing the iconic Seven Sisters and Belle Tout lighthouse within its gnarled branches at Cuckmere Haven. | On the Slater trail in Seven Sisters country park near the Coastguard cottages at Cuckmere Haven. 50.75942 N, 0.14611 E.

WINNER YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS | Isabel Fairlamb, aged 18 This tree was surrounded by large wonders and curious plants, but it stands out to me more than those. It’s a display of nature’s strength against all odds. | Silver Birch, Stanmer Park, Brighton ///librarian.dock.push Young photographer from Bhasvic, Brighton & Hove

Herbie Ballan, aged 17 | A tree stands alone in thick fog on a farm, its outline faint and softened by the mist. The surrounding fields are pale and muted, giving the scene a quiet, hazy stillness. | Acacia, Ringmer, off Norlington Lane, East Sussex ///cuddling.comic.pizzeria | Young photographer from Bhasvic, Brighton & Hove

Sophie Izzard, aged 14 | I love this tree because it serves as a reminder that despite our darkest winters, we can learn, change and never cease to grow. I believe this tree looks its best during autumn when its leaves carpet the ground in a fiery orange blanket. | North American Red Oak, The Green in Shepherds Walk, Hassocks, Mid Sussex, BN6 Young photographer, home school

Dexter Pagett, aged 12 | I love this tree because it is so sad and barren yet I know how in early summer it will blossom back to all of its green glory. | Oak, SO22, | Young photographer, Chichester Free School

Vincent Clark, aged 17 | All roots lead to Lewes. | Beech, Lewes, near Pells Pool, East Sussex ///pylon.circling.hiker | Young photographer from Bhasvic, Brighton & Hove

Natasha Hutton, aged 15 | The tree nymph entwined in a kiss with the stone giant | The magic of this tree entwined with the rock is reminiscent of a nymph kissing a rock giant. The two have combined to create a beautiful story. | Chestnut in Woodland near Buckhurst park, North of Crowborough, East Sussex ///interests.wheat.dots | Young photographer from Beacon Academy, Crowborough

Finley Pattenden, aged 13 | This is my favourite tree, it’s the only pine tree in Railway Land Lewes where I help out as a junior ranger each Saturday morning. I love its texture and the way it looms above the rest of the trees. After a recent lightening strike it has black scars running down it trunk but it is still healthy. | Pine tree, The Railway Land Wildlfe Trust, Lewes, East Sussex.| ///tinsel.flotation.firewall | Young photographer, Priory School, Lewes

NORTH LAINE HAIR COMPANY AWARD | Caitlin Griffin, aged 17 | Tree tributaries | The tree branches look like river tributaries in the sky. | Oak, North of Ardingly College, west off Ardingly Road ///ducks.blueberry.dared | Young photographer from Bhasvic, Brighton & Hove