A TREE nursery near York has completed tree planting at a farm which is diversifying into providing fishing lakes in Stockton on Tees.

Thorpe Trees, based in Thorpe Underwood, planted 10,685 trees and shrubs at Hilton House Farm, near Yarm, to create 7.4 hectares of new native woodland under a Forestry Commission woodland grant scheme.

It also planted the grassy banks around the two lakes with 3,200 trees and shrubs and enhanced the boundary hedgerows, with willows and colourful shrubs on the islands, and planted 85 specimen trees including birch, cherry, rowan and crab apple, around the car parking area.

Caroline Taylor, owner and director of Thorpe Trees, said the diversification of farmland is providing them with new business.

She said: “Farm diversification is becoming more and more prevalent as farmers seek to generate income from different sources. The majority of diversification schemes launched involve the development of farming land, and the use of trees and shrubs is frequently an integral part of that process.”