The giant Kent farm with Christmas trees as far as the eye can see

Nestled in 200 acres of classic English parkland, one family-owned farm is gearing up for the festive season. Hole Park Estate, near the village of Rolvenden, not far from Cranbrook, has been selling Christmas trees for more than 60 years and has already undergone some mammoth preparations to get ready for 2024.

Up to 20,000 trees are planted every year at Hole Park. Little saplings, no more than 20 cms tall, are taken from selected seed sources that are known to produce the very best format of trees.

At this point, trees are around three years old but it will take another seven years for them to reach a height of seven or eight feet tall. The forestry team needs to give each tree constant attention to ensure they grow into the much-loved Christmas tree shape.

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This includes regular pruning, bud picking, leader trimming and monitoring for pests and diseases which might harm the growing trees. Estate foreman David Purnell said: "At our busiest it can mean 14-hour days, even in the depths of winter, but the effort is always worth it when we come to harvest the results."

Thoughts turn to Christmas much earlier than you might expect. The preparation for harvest starts in August, with the trees being individually measured and labelled.

The selected trees - around 16,000 each year - are cut at the last possible moment before they are dispatched. This is to ensure they stay in as good condition as possible.

The trees are not just sold to shops. Hole Park is one of the only Christmas tree growers based in the county and one where trees can actually be bought directly by the public.

Hundreds of trees will be made ready for members of the public. Some Hole Park Christmas trees travel to homes and businesses as far afield as Birmingham and the West Country.

This year customers will be able to choose their special tree from Monday (November, 18) up until Friday, December, 20. The wood yard is open seven days a week from 10am-4pm during this period when foliage - a by-product of the harvest - Christmas wreaths, wood carvings and supplies of the estate's sustainable firewood are also available.

Trees on offer include Norway Spruce, Nordman Fir, Blue Spruce and Serbian Spruce but other species are also available. You can find the Christmas tree farm at Benenden Road, Rolvenden, Cranbrook, TN17 4JA.

More information can be found here.

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