Lake District: Difficult clear-up after Storm Arwen

National Trust rangers and forestry teams have said they face an "emotional" job clearing fallen trees in the Lake District.

Thousands were brought down when Storm Arwen hit the area with severe winds causing chaos in November.

Among the casualties were many "champion" trees, or important examples of their species, including the UK and Ireland's biggest beech tree.

A large number of firs and 250-year-old oak trees were also destroyed.

John Moffat, who manages the South Lakes area, said: "At Wray Castle we lost quite a unique beech tree that blew down, which was the biggest in the UK and Ireland, for its girth at the base of the tree, and just down the road from there we lost a Noble Fir which was the biggest in Cumbria."

The National Trust owns about a fifth of the Lake District National Park and there have been challenges trying to find contractors to clear footpaths and bridleways across its properties.

Ideally it wants estate bridleways cleared by the end of February.

Mr Moffat said: "We tried to get as much cleared as possible before Christmas but there's so much to do, work will start next week to clear the bridleway between Wray Castle and the car ferry at Windermere.

"It's really hard, the rangers and forestry teams are looking after these every day and to see such huge trees toppled over in the course of a few hours, it's really difficult for the staff and emotional for them too.

"We have a few thousand trees we have to think about replacing so we'll think about that in spring and summer to get ready for autumn and winter, which is the best time for replanting.

"We'll look to replant new specimens of our champion trees and more unusual trees as well."

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