(Image: James Reader/Woodland Trust/PA Wire)
A County Durham birch has missed out on being crowned the UK's Tree of the Year after a popular elm in Northern Ireland claimed the top prize.
The Bollihope Burn Birch, near Frosterley, was among 10 trees shortlisted in the Woodland Trust's annual UK Tree of the Year competition.
However, the title went to the "Bendy Tree" in Newcastle, County Down, which received 30 per cent of the public vote after tens of thousands of people took part in the poll.
This year's competition celebrated trees that have survived adversity under the theme "Against all odds".
The County Durham contender, known as the Bollihope Burn Birch, was recognised for thriving in a landscape shaped by centuries of industrial activity.
The tree stands precariously on the edge of a cliff in Weardale, in an area once dominated by quarries, lime kilns, mines and a goods railway.
Despite its striking story, it was beaten to the title by the Bendy Tree, a wych elm which has endured more than 150 years of harsh coastal weather on Newcastle's seaside promenade.
The Northern Ireland tree is the last survivor of a row of wych elms planted along the town's original promenade in the mid-19th century.
It has also survived Dutch elm disease, which wiped out millions of elms across the UK.
Other finalists included the Crowhurst Yew in Surrey, which survived a direct hit from a Civil War cannonball, and the Culmstock Yew in Devon, which has spent around 200 years growing on top of a church tower.
Bollihope Burn Birch. (Image: James Reader/Woodland Trust/PA Wire)
The "Preston Twin" in Brighton, believed to be one of the oldest English elms in the world, was also shortlisted after surviving for four centuries despite the threat of Dutch elm disease.
May Chemais, ancient tree inventory lead for the Woodland Trust, said: "When you look at this astonishing and bizarre tree, there's no doubt about what it has endured.
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"We've all been through changes and hardships that have shaped who we are. I think that's why the Bendy Tree has struck a chord with people."
She said older trees provide communities with benefits including shade, wellbeing, cultural value and a sense of local pride.
Laura Chow, head of charities at Postcode Lottery, which supports the competition, said the contest shines a spotlight on remarkable trees at the heart of communities across the UK, each with a story worth telling.