WOOD you believe it? Dunster can officially claim the title of having England's tallest tree.

A giant fir in the Crown Estate's Dunster Forest has been measured at just over 60 metres, or 197 feet, making it the tallest tree in England by some three metres.

The Douglas fir was climbed by a team of visiting arborists from Sparsholt College in Hampshire this week.

They used specialist climbing techniques to scale the monster - and an equally enormous measuring tape.

Andy Player, countryside manager at the Dunster Estate, said: "I invited Sparsholt College to Dunster after they had recently completed a tour of Scotland looking for Britain's tallest tree.

"I knew we had England's tallest tree, but it had only been measured from ground level and this was an exciting opportunity to get the height confirmed in the most accurate way possible."

The result has been verified by the official body the Tree Register, which also confirmed that the Dunster Estate was home to England's tallest magnolia tree.

Mr Player added: "The trees are located in the bottom of a valley on moist, fertile soils, so they get drawn up rapidly as they compete for light.

"The combination of these factors, with the wet and mild climate that we experience in this part of the world, means that we have a whole stand of giants ready to compete for the title in future years and, who knows, we may even be able to challenge trees in Wales and Scotland."

The tall trees will soon be the focus of a new all-abilities access trail, which, from the summer, will enable visitors to get up close to the trees to fully appreciate their size and enjoy the surrounding forest.