Pick Your Own Christmas Tree At These Festive Farms In And Around London

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Last Updated 22 November 2024

Pick Your Own Christmas Tree At These Festive Farms In And Around London
Christmas tree farms London: a family digging up a Christmas tree on a Christmas tree plantation
Take your family on a day out at a Christmas tree farm close to London. Photo: Chris Briggs via Unsplash

What could be more festive than picking your own Christmas tree, fresh from the farm where it grew?

There's something quite magical (and yes, American) about donning your wellies and Christmas jumper, strolling out into the field, and pretending you know what you're talking about when it comes to branches, needles, Nordmann firs and what-not.

Some farms and plantations will let you do the heavy work of cutting down or digging up the tree yourself (you may need to bring your own equipment, so check ahead before you travel). Others, understandably, don't let the general public loose with an axe or saw, and will do the difficult bit for you. Our roundup includes both types of tree farm.

Note: some farms may require you to book a slot before you visit — check with individual venues for the most up-to-date information.

South London Christmas Tree Farm, Chelsfield

Christmas tree farms London: rows of Christmas trees on a farm
Dig up your own Christmas tree. Image: Emma Schell via Unsplash

Despite its SEO-friendly name, South London Christmas Tree Farm is located just over the border in Kent. Still, if you live in south London, it's probably your closest Christmas tree farm, so we'll let them off. Happily, you can cut your own fir down, if you bring your own tools (no power tools, and they can't lend you their equipment for safety reasons). Not feeling the lumberjack lifestyle? That's OK — take a label from the office and tag your tree, they'll cut it for you. Or simply pick up a ready-to-go tree from the sales area.

Note: it's cash or cheque only — no cards taken, so stop at an ATM on the way.

South London Christmas Tree Farm, Westwood Farm, Rock Hill, Chelsfield, Kent, BR6 7PP. Open Friday-Sunday 16 November-14 December 2024.

The nearby Christmas Tree Farm in Cudham near Orpington usually offers firs for sale too (clue's in the name, really), though the main attraction is its children's farm — keep an eye on the website for 2024 details.

Hurley's Christmas Tree Farm, Wickford, Essex

Also known as Pumpkin Forest (for its fields of orange gourds in the autumnal months), Hurleys Farm grows its trees on site, with sizes ranging from 3ft to 20ft. In previous years, Santa has made an appearance — keep an eye on the website to see if he's returning this year.

Hurley's Christmas Tree Farm, Woodham Road, Battlesbridge, Essex, SS11 7QL. 2024 dates TBC — keep an eye on the website.

Kingswood Christmas Trees, Maidstone, Kent

Christmas tree farms London: A woman and a dachshund posing for a photo among rows of Christmas trees
Photo: Cara Grobbelaar via Unsplash

Over 20,000 Christmas trees are planted at this Kent farm each year, ranging from 2ft to 20ft tall at time of cutting. Wander through the festive fields and select your own, or pick one from the ready-cut selection.

Kingswood also does an excellent line in Christmas decorations, so browse the shop (open from 16 November 2024) while you're there and collect all the ornaments, baubles, tinsel and lights you need to make your prickly new friend feel at home in your living room. There's a Christmas Cafe on site, as well as a Santa's Grotto (booking required — open from 23 November 2024) so you can have a whole festive day out.

Kingswood Christmas Trees, Gravelly Bottom Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 3NU. 16 November-24 December 2024.

Kingsley Farm Christmas trees, East Grinstead, Sussex/Surrey

Sitting close to the Kent/Sussex/Surrey border, Kingsley Farm has been growing Christmas trees for over a decade, and offers a choice between Norway Spruce, Nordmann Fir and Blue Spruce varieties.

Wander through the farm and pick your tree, then you can either have the farm staff cut it down for you, or cut it down or dig it out yourself. They also sell ready-cut trees, or you can reserve one from the growing field to take home at a later date.

Kingsley Farm Christmas Trees, Blackberry Road, Felcourt, East Grinstead, RH7 6NQ. 23 November-23 December 2024.

Sussex Trees, East and West Sussex

Sussex Trees has over 100,000 pines of up to 12ft growing in the Sussex countryside, so if you can't find one you like here, we can't help you. The Northdown/Five Ashes Plantation is the original location, where you can either pick and cut your own, or choose a ready-cut number from the barn. You can also purchase a Sussex tree from Goddenwick Farm — ideal if you're after a full day out, with reindeer, goats, donkeys, alpacas and other farm animals to see, plus mulled wine sold from a converted horse trailer.

Sussex Trees. Goddenwick Farm, Lindfield, West Sussex, RH16 2QZ.  Northdown Christmas Tree Plantation, Five Ashes, East Sussex, TN20 6JG. Both 23 November-23 December 2024.

Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, Battle, East Sussex

Visit this farm between 15 and 24 November 2024 to select your tree direct from the plantation, and arrange to collect it (or have it delivered if you live locally) at a later date. Alternatively, order your tree online, or visit the farm closer to Christmas to pick a ready-cut tree. Choose between Nordmann Fir, Serbian Spruce, Norway Spruce and Fraser Fir varieties.

There's also a Christmas tree throwing competition on 17 November with £150 to be won, and the farm has held a best dressed tree competition in previous years.

Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm, The Stream, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9BB. 15 November-24 December 2024.

Crockford Bridge Farm, Surrey

In October, Crockford Farm attracts visitors to its pumpkin patch, but come November, the gourds are gone and it's all about the Christmas trees (Nordmann Fir, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce and Fraser Fir are all grown here). They let you cut your own tree down, provided you follow the rules (hand saws only, cut trees from the bottom, no children using saws, cutting only in daylight hours...). They limit the number of trees available to cut each year to ensure a sustainable crop, so you need to book a cut-your-own Christmas tree voucher to allow you to do so — the £30 price of the voucher is redeemable against the final cost of your tree.

Prefer someone else to do the work? Ready cut and potted trees are available to buy at the farm too, in sizes up to 6ft. No need to book for this option.

Crockford Bridge Farm, New Haw Road, Near Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2BU. Cut-your-own opens 23 November 2024, ready-picked trees are available from 27 November 2024.

Other Christmas tree farms near London

  • Hans Christmas Andersen: This puntastic business grows its trees on a farm in the Surrey Hills, and sells them at sites around Surrey and Kent (Guildford, Godalming and Sittingbourne). You can collect your tree from these sites, but note the trees are ready-chopped in a 'standing forest' situation, so you can't pick your tree from the exact spot where it grew. On the plus side, Father Christmas can often be seen at work at the Guildford location, and there are reindeer too.
  • Oxenford Farm: The trees at the idyllic Oxenford Farm are grown on site in Surrey, however, they're also ready-chopped, so you'll select your festive fir from the sales area, rather than the field itself.
  • Badger Hill Christmas Tree Farm: At this Bedfordshire farm, you can either visit on the open weekend (23-24 November 2024) when you can select your tree, which will then be chopped down and delivered to your house closer to Christmas, or you can visit later in the season (15-21 December), and take a pre-chopped tree home with you.

Where to rent a Christmas tree in London

It sounds odd at first, but renting a Christmas tree is a more environmentally friendly way to have a real tree in your home for Christmas. The tree makes itself comfortable in your living room for a few weeks a year, before being stripped (oo-er) and sent back to the field to be replanted and live its best life among its arboreal chums until the festive season comes round again. Some places even tag the trees to keep track of them, so you get the same one in your living room next year (handy if you've left a bauble on there). We like to think Phoebe Buffay would approve.

Unlike visiting a Christmas tree farm, you may not be able to see your tree in a field, but handily for Londoners, many rental firms offer London hubs where you can collect and return your tree either side of the festivities. Of course, the environmental benefits of renting a tree can be undone if your tree is being transported from the other end of the country to your living room, so do your research. Oh, and order soon — rental trees often sell out way in advance.

Here's where you can rent a tree for Christmas in London 2024:

  • London Christmas Tree Rental: Hubs in Barnes, Dulwich, Orpington, Shepherd's Bush and Thames Ditton, where you can collect and return your tree. No longer offering home delivery as they have in previous years. Register on the website to get the heads-up when each year's stock becomes available to book. They ask that you only rent a tree if you can return it to the same hub on the specific return dates.
  • Christmas on the Hill: Previously at Alexandra Palace, but operating completely online now. Trees available to rent or buy, ranging from 2ft to 7ft.
  • Simply Plants: Delivered — and they'll decorate Sprucey for you too.

We're fully expecting more Christmas tree rental firms to sprout in the capital in the coming years, as it becomes a more popular option.

Where to buy a Christmas tree in London

Christmas tree farms London: a golden bauble being placed onto a Christmas tree inside someone's home
Photo: Element5 Digital via Unsplash

Of course, if you're not the muddy field type, there are plenty of nurseries, garden centres and other shops in London where you can buy a Christmas tree without even leaving the tarmac. Here's a small selection of them:

  • Big Penny Social in Walthamstow has a Christmas Tree Market as part of its festivities this year. From 23 November 2024, a selection of Nordmann Firs are available, with prices beginning at £45... and each tree purchase comes with a complimentary cup of mulled wine. Pre-order your tree online, or select in in person. Delivery available to E17 postcodes (extra cost)
  • Green Elf Trees is a London-based company that delivers Christmas trees to the majority of London postcodes (as well as the likes of The Ritz and National Trust), and all delivery vehicles are electric. Oh, and for every tree sold, Green Elf Trees donates to a charity of your choice. Good eggs.
  • Pines and Needles pops up at an impressive 30+ London locations in the run-up to Christmas, from Wimbledon to Highbury, and Victoria Park to Kingston. They sell real Christmas trees, can deliver if you can't collect, and also sell lights, stands, decorations and all the other gubbins required.
  • Good Elf offers a choice of Norway Spruce or Nordmann Fir trees, and delivers to anywhere within London (and many other places). If you've got a larger gap to fill, they offer an installation service for your towering tree, and will even collect it once you're done with it, for an extra charge.
  • Christmas Trees Delivered does exactly that, delivering trees to all inner London postcodes — choose from Nordmann or Noble Firs, or Norway Spruce.
  • Shoots and Leaves lets you collect your tree from one of six London locations — Little Brook Green, Eel Brook Common, West Ealing, Acton, Hanwell or Hampstead Heath. Not in one of those areas? They also deliver.