Behind the scenes at Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm

The cheesy tunes are on, memories of loved ones come flooding back, and you might have a mince pie or two.

For those of us who prefer a real tree, you might be shocked to find out how long it takes a grow the thing that symbolises the start of Christmas.

I am embarrassed to admit what my guess was, when meeting the team at the family-run Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm.

The iconic trees can take from six to 10 years to grow at the farm. So, let’s just say, I was five to nine years out.

DECADE: An established patch of trees next to some younger ones, which have years left to grow 

The near decade spent growing at the farm doesn’t even include the four years it takes for the seeds to be grown, which they buy from Denmark.

With more than 30 acres of trees, the team at the farm work year-round to ensure a fresh batch is ready for December.

SEEDS: Sometimes rare cones are spotted on the trees at the farm

“People think the work only happens at Christmas here, but it’s year-round,” said Nick Hendy, who works at the family-run farm.

“The pruning is the most important thing. That happens in January and February, it’s all done by hand and you could have about 7,000 trees to do.”

Early in the tree’s life is when the most important pruning is done, to ensure the tree has a ‘handle’, but the trees require careful attention through their lives to give it that iconic shape.

The business started as a small holding in 1971, before it started selling Christmas trees in 1998, after Reg Hendy first planted them in 1993.

ATMOSPHERE: As well as the farm, there's also a shop and cafe 

Shaun Hendy, Reg’s other son, said the family aren’t sure why Reg chose to start growing the trees, but the success of the business now means careful planning is needed to make sure the ground has the right conditions to allow a healthy tree to grow.

Reg and his wife Ann still work at the farm alongside their sons and their wives Clare and Trudy, as well as a reliable team of hard workers.

Shaun said: “Nature does three quarters of the work, we do the last quarter.

“One in three people will buy a real tree, and you’ll never buy it fresher than from us.

“A lot of other places sell real trees, but they aren't being sold from the places they are grown.

“People see a fresh batch of trees come over and they like that they haven’t been seen by anyone else.”

Trees of all sizes are available at the farm, and the team also donate huge trees to councils in the area which are used to bring Christmas cheer to surrounding towns.

As well as being a working farm, there’s also a shop and cafe, and evening events with live music are held.

The shop features Christmas decorations and local crafts, including hand-made wreathes the family make with cut offs from the trees.

They also give away woodchip to ensure nothing is wasted.

The atmosphere makes visiting the farm a real family-favourite, and the team believe there’s a tree for everyone.

Shaun added: “It’s all about the experience, it’s not just a tree."

The pair said it’s heart-warming to know they are helping to bring Christmas to households in the area.

The beautiful farm is surrounded by lakes, where the family are starting to build fishing huts to be used throughout the year.

The first patch of trees is still growing strong at the farm, as the family hope to keep it going for as long as possible.

Around 4-5,000 trees are sold every year. The business is growing increasingly popular as some people move away from wanting to use plastic.

While the family business is a year-round job, it’s no secret December is their busiest time as they combine their farm knowledge with retail.

Trees will be available at the farm until December 23. For opening times and prices for trees including Nordman Firs and Norway Spruces, visit langfordlakes.co.uk.