A £3.3m treehouse – billed as one of the largest in the world – is under construction at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland.
The 56ft-high structure, which is the size of two Olympic swimming pools, will be built using natural materials including Canadian cedar, Scandinavian redwood and English and Scots pine from sustainable sources.
Designed by John Harris, author of “Treehouses, a practical and inspirational guide”, the Tree House has been designed to withstand all weathers and gale force winds.
Covering 6,000ft2 and linked by 4,000ft2 of suspended walkways, the Tree House will be built by Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. A company spokesperson said a wide variety of timbers will be used including glulam beams made in France.
The Tree House will take eight months to construct and is due for completion by July 2004.