WATCH: Widest tree in Britain wants to be the best

It can already lay claim to one title - the widest tree in Britain.

But now this historic Staffordshire yew tree is bidding to go one step better and be named the best in the country.

And members of the public in the West Midlands are being urged to get behind the campaign and vote for it to become the winner.

The 350-year-old tree at the Shugborough Estate, has a crown circumference of 575ft - about the same size as the auditorium at the Royal Albert Hall.

More than 200 nominations of trees across the country were lodged in the competition to find the best which is being run by the nature charity, The Woodland Trust.

They have now been whittled down to a top 10 with the winner going on to represent England next April against trees from Wales, Scotland and elsewhere in Europe.

The yew tree has become a well-known landmark at Shugborough but experts say many visitors don't realise just how special it is.

It has been recorded in the Tree Register of the British Isles (TROBI) as the tree with the largest crown in Britain and Ireland, and it is suspected that it may even be the largest in Europe.

David Alderman, from TROBI, said: "This remarkable tree has spent most of its life growing naturally sideways rather than upwards.

"Many of its branches have rooted themselves, providing even more vigour as it has engulfed other trees originally planted 25 metres away.

"As yew can live for 1,000 years or more, if left unchecked, this tree could potentially keep growing ever wider and eventually cover the whole estate."

Taking a look at the Great Yew Tree is Shugborough Hall operations manager Steve Dodd

The tree originally had a tunnel running through it, thought by be used as a den by former owner Patrick Lichfield and his sister Elizabeth when they were growing up.

The Lichfield family used to host charity garden parties and would raise extra money by charging an entrance fee to the tunnel, which has since healed up. The tree is now home to three of the many deer that roam the estate.

The winner will be decided by public vote, which can be registered on the Woodland Trust website.

Other contenders include The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, where legend has it that Robin Hood and his merry men would shelter and sleep.

The Shugborough yew also faces competition from the Ankerwycke Yew in Surrey, which is estimated to be more than 1,400 years old.

The competition closes on November 4, for more information go to woodlandtrust.org.uk.