The spectacular tree is a giant sequoia (Sequoia Wellingtonia). At a staggering 42 meters tall, it is twice the height of the Angel of the North.

Dressing a tree of this height requires industrial thought, especially when using more than a kilometer of lights. A team of five people used a huge cherry picker to reach the top of the North American conifer to attach the lights. Two foresters and a cherry picker operator reached dizzying heights in the basket, while two other team members checked the lights and gave instructions from the ground to ensure the lights were straight.

Children from Rothbury’s First Local School were among the first to see Cragside’s own illuminations and helped kick off the celebrations with a program of festive singing by lantern light.

George Clarke said: “Cragside is one of my favorite National Trust properties. It is spectacular inside and out, a true marvel of innovation, vision and creativity. So it was an absolute honor to be asked to help open the Christmas festivities in Cragside. by lighting 2,000 lights on the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, measuring 42 meters, that’s about 10 double-decker buses stacked on top of each other!

“William and Margaret Armstrong planted this incredible giant redwood tree and, thanks to the staff and volunteers of the National Trust, it still brings joy to so many people, 160 years later. When it’s decorated and when it’s not It’s a real Christmas treat, but also a living link between past, present and future visitors who will be just as amazed as we are. As much as I love the National Trust for all the incredible buildings they look after,! I also love them for the. landscapes and the trees they take care of too, I really recommend you come and see them for yourself.

In 1864, Cragside’s creators, William and Margaret Armstrong, began transforming what was once a heather moor into a fantastical mountain landscape. In addition to planting millions of trees and rhododendrons, the Armstrongs also planted a Pinetum. Each tree – most native to North America – was hand-picked for its colossal size once it reached maturity. Today, the Pinetum is teeming with giant redwoods, Scots pines, and noble firs, some of which are the tallest of their kind in the country.

The creation of the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree pays homage to these giants of the tree world. The ornate giant sequoia sits at the edge of the Rock Garden, where it dwarfs the Victorian house.

Property curator Clara Woolford said: “Based on articles published like The garden And Gardeners’ Chroniclewe know that the Rock Garden was well established by 1872, which makes the tree approximately 150 years old.

Adding lights to the pitch is nothing new at Cragside. In 1884, the royal family visited the Northumberland estate after hearing the story of a ‘Geordie genius’. To commemorate their arrival, Armstrong decorated the hillsides with thousands of lamps. In the Newcastle Daily Chronicle of the time it was written that “Ten thousand small glass lamps hung among the rocky hills, and an almost equal number of Chinese lanterns were swung in the leafy glades.” »

Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, and William Armstrong was a pioneering innovator and early adopter of the technology. To this end, it was important that Christmas in Cragside was as environmentally friendly as possible.

The Cragside team used the latest technology to light the tree. The bulbs are efficient LEDs that are illuminated using rechargeable, quiet and, above all, smoke-free portable power stations.

Visitors will notice that the lights have been hung lengthwise rather than wrapped around the tree like you would at home. This means that the branches are not stressed by the weight of the lights, helping to ensure that the tree is not damaged and can continue to delight visitors for many years.

The house team was inspired by the great outdoors to present “Spirits of the Forest” which imagines the House under enchanted spell. The house is being reclaimed by the forest: imagine trees sprouting from the tables, ivy cascading down the walls, rivers flowing through the rooms, and forest animals roaming the hallways.

It took a lot of foliage to create this immersive and magical woodland experience. Gardeners have been drying flowers in the formal garden beds since summer to ensure there are enough to display. When pruning, the gardeners kept cuttings and foliage was harvested from all over the land to dress the pieces.

“We really went wild this year developing this year’s festive theme,” Clara explains.

“The Victorians are credited with bringing evergreen trees indoors at Christmas, celebrating the tradition on a larger scale. We are really excited to welcome visitors from this weekend to experience the magic of the Forest Spirits.

The magic of Christmas in Cragside begins from Saturday 30 November to Sunday 5 January. Cragside is open from 11am to 3pm (last entry at 2pm). Entry costs £15 for adults, £7.50 for children and £37.50 for families. Under 5s and National Trust members are free. Find out more about nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside.

The UK’s tallest living Christmas tree would not have been possible without the support of Stihl and Gustharts who provided the portable power stations to light the tree, Light Legends who donated the lights and A1 Access who assisted with the installation by providing a basket and operator.