Christmas Trees in Durham: Where to Buy and Recycle

Durham is well placed for a real Christmas tree. A working plantation lies a few miles south-east of the city at Bowburn, a farm Christmas barn sits on the edge of town at High Shincliffe, and the council collects old trees free of charge in January. This guide covers where to buy, how to look after your tree, and how to dispose of it afterwards.

Where to buy a real tree

Durham Christmas Trees, Heugh Hall Farm, Bowburn

Durham Christmas Trees grows its own Norway spruce and Nordmann fir at Heugh Hall Farm near Bowburn (DH6 5NJ), about ten minutes from the city off the A1(M). You can walk the plantation and choose a tree to be cut, with pick-your-own trees from £25, or take a freshly cut Nordmann fir from the covered display. Stands are sold on site, there is local delivery, and there are refreshments, a festive trail for children, and dogs are welcome on a lead. The farm has also offered pot-grown Nordmann firs in past seasons, so ask if you want one to plant out afterwards.

The farm opens on selected weekends rather than every day. In 2025 it opened on Saturday 22 November and then Friday to Sunday on the following two weekends, 10.30am to 3.30pm. For 2026 its website says "back soon" and that no booking is needed, but dates had not been posted as of 3 November.

East Grange Farm, High Shincliffe

East Grange Farm at High Shincliffe (DH1 2TB), on the south-eastern edge of the city, runs a pumpkin patch in October and then turns its barn over to Christmas. From late November into December it sells fresh-cut, locally sourced trees, along with stands, wreaths and decorations. The barn has opened Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm during the season. The 2026 start date was not confirmed at the time of writing, so check the website before you go.

Supermarkets

Lidl has sold real Nordmann firs in its UK stores in recent Decembers, while stocks last, and the city's branch is Lidl at Dragonville on Damson Way. Supermarket trees are usually limited to a couple of sizes, so they suit anyone who wants a straightforward tree and is happy to take what is in that week.

Choosing and caring for your tree

The Nordmann fir is the usual choice: soft, dark needles that hold well indoors for four weeks or more. The Norway spruce is the traditional tree, with the strongest scent, but it sheds sooner in a warm room, so bring it home nearer Christmas.

• Freshness first. A choose-and-cut tree is as fresh as it gets. For a pre-cut tree, run a hand along a branch: few needles should fall.
• Water daily. Cut a slice off the base when you get home, stand it in water and keep the reservoir topped up every day.
• Mind the heat. Keep it away from radiators, open fires and log burners.
• Pot-grown trees need the coolest spot in the house and should only come indoors for a week or two before going back outside.

Recycling your tree in January

Free council collection

Durham County Council collects real Christmas trees from homes free of charge in December and January. Collections are arranged through the council and you are given a week rather than a day: put the tree out from 7am on the Monday of that week, not before, as unlicensed collectors sometimes take trees left out early and fly-tip them. The council says its dates for this season will be published later in the year, so check its Christmas tree collections page in December. Collected trees are chipped and composted.

Recycling centres

You can also take a real tree to any of the county's household waste recycling centres. The nearest to the city is Potterhouse Lane Recycling Centre, Potterhouse Lane, Pity Me, Durham, DH1 5RL. The centres are for Durham County Council residents only and you may be asked for proof of address. Winter opening hours are shorter than summer ones, so check the council's recycling centres page before setting off.

Garden waste bins

The council's garden waste service is a paid annual subscription that runs from March to November, so there are no garden waste collections in January.

St Cuthbert's Hospice tree collection

St Cuthbert's Hospice runs its own Christmas tree collection in selected postcodes including DH1, DH2, DH3, DH6 and DH7, in return for a donation to the hospice. Its dates can differ from the council's, and you book directly with the hospice rather than the council. Details are usually announced on the hospice's website in December.

Artificial trees

An artificial tree that still works is worth offering to a charity shop or a local selling group before it goes to the tip.