Major Oak

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Major Oak
The Major Oak - geograph.org.uk - 1691865.jpg
The Major Oak
Major Oak
SpeciesEnglish oak ( Quercus robur )
Location Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire
Coordinates 53°12′16.70″N1°4′20.80″W / 53.2046389°N 1.0724444°W / 53.2046389; -1.0724444

The Major Oak is a large English oak ( Quercus robur ) near Edwinstowe in the midst of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England. According to local folklore, it was Robin Hood's shelter where he and his Merry Men slept. It weighs an estimated 23 tons, has a girth of 33 feet (10 metres), a canopy of 92 feet (28 metres), and is about 800–1,000 years old. [1] [2] The Major Oak sits within a Site of Special Scientific Interest. [3]

Contents

Etymology

Major Hayman Rooke, a soldier and antiquarian, describes the Major Oak in his book Description or Sketches of Remarkable Oakes in Welbeck Park in 1790 as "I think no one can behold this majestic ruin without pronouncing it to be of very from it antiquity, and might venture to say, that it cannot be much less than a thousand years old." It is believed that the Major Oak took the name of Rooke. [4] [5] [6] The Major Oak used to be named the Cockpen Tree, after the cockfighting that once took place beneath it. [7]

History

It is unclear to whether the Major Oak is one tree or several tree saplings that have been fused together, hence this may give reason to its shape. [8] The tree is commonly thought to be the UK's second-largest oak tree, surpassed by the Majesty Oak in Fredville Park, in the village of Nonington, near Dover, Kent. [9]

The Major Oak was identified by Major Hayman Rooke in 1790. [10] Support chains were first fitted to the tree in 1908, and its massive limbs have been partially supported by an elaborate system of scaffolding since the 1970s. [11] In 1974, fences were installed around the tree to protect it from root damage, since the number of visitors to the tree was compacting the soil around it. [12]

The formation sign of the 46th Infantry Division of the British Army in the Second World War was the Major Oak. [13] Among the units of the division were battalions of the Sherwood Foresters regiment.

In a 2002 survey, it was voted "Britain's favourite tree". [14] In 2014, it was voted 'England's Tree of the Year' by a public poll by the Woodland Trust, receiving 18% of the votes. [15] [2] The tree was featured on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the Midlands. [16]

In 2003, in Dorset a plantation was started of 260 saplings grown from acorns of the Major Oak. [6] The purpose was to provide publicity for an internet-based study of the Major Oak, its history, photographic record, variation in size and leafing of the saplings, comparison of their DNA, and an eventual public amenity. [17]

Since 2022, the tree has suffered from the summer heatwaves and has produced fewer leaves. [18] Rumours of the tree dying have been dispelled by the RSPB who manage the forest. [19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Biggs, Paul; Biggs, Sandra (1999). Best Tea Shop Walks in Nottinghamshire. Wilmslow: Sigma Leisure. p. 50. ISBN   978-1-85058-6845 . Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "The Major Oak". Woodland Trust . Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Nottinghamshire's National Nature Reserve". naturalengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2025
  4. ↑ Townsley, Richard (16 February 2025). "The man who made the Major Oak" . Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "Sherwood Forest Country Park". 7 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 Stafford, Fiona (28 October 2016). "The story of Major Oak, one of Britain's most awe-inspiring trees" . Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Hight, Julian (2011). Britain's Tree Story: the history and legends of Britain's ancient trees. National Trust Books. p. 32. ISBN   978-1907-8922-02.
  8. ↑ Cite Web: https://visitsherwood.co.uk/explore-the-forest/the-major-oak/#:~:text=Although%20it's%20undeniably%20big%2C%20it's,Major%20Oak%20in%20his%20honour%7CThe Major Oak Probably the most famous resident of Sherwood Forest (after Robin Hood of course), the iconic Major Oak is an ancient giant that absolutely cannot be missed|Sherwood Forest|2018|retrieved on 12 April 2025
  9. ↑ "Pedunculate Oak 'Majesty' in Fredville Park, Nonington, England, United Kingdom". Monumental trees. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  10. ↑ {{Stafford, Fiona (28 October 2016). "The story of Major Oak, one of Britain's most awe-inspiring trees". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2025
  11. ↑ "The Major Oak – Sherwood Forest". 22 January 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  12. ↑ The Woodland Trust (Summer 2019). "The Major Oak" (PDF). Wood Wise: 6.
  13. ↑ Cite Web: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30071761%7Cbadge, formation, 46th (North Midland and West Riding) Infantry Division|Imperial War Museum| retrieved on 11 April 2025
  14. ↑ "Sherwood Forest Country Park: Nottinghamshire County Council". Nottinghamshire.gov.uk. 7 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "'Robin Hood' Major Oak wins Tree of the Year competition". BBC News. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Seven Man Made Wonders,Midlands - Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak”|BBC Homepage| 28 October 2014, Archived|retrieved on 3 April 2025
  17. ↑ "Planting a new Oak Wood in Dorset". Eyemead.com. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  18. ↑ "Action to help 'Robin Hood' tree in Sherwood Forest in heatwave". BBC News. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  19. ↑ "Rumours 'Robin Hood' oak is dying dispelled by RSPB". BBC News. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
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