Image ID: 10116

Workmen at Major Oak Before Metalling, Sherwood Forest, Edwinstowe, c 1903

Courtesy of Mrs M Woodhead, Edwinstowe Historical Society

Sherwood Forest
Edwinstowe
England

Legend has it that Robin Hood hid within the hollow trunk of the tree to escape from the Sherriff of Nottingham's men. Despite the legend, the Major Oak would have only been an acorn at the time of the outlaw, however, he may have hidden in a tree of equivalent size at that time. Inside the oak is a hollow which was originally caused by fungi. The Major Oak's vital statistics are impressive; it weighs around 23 tons, has a girth of ten metres (33ft) and a spread of 28 metres (92ft) - this makes it the biggest oak tree in Britain. In a good year it can produce 150,000 acorns. However, good crops are cyclical. Generally, the tree has a good acorn crop, sometimes known as mast, every 3-4 years, depending on weather in spring and summer and the health of the mother (a local man has permission to collect some of the acorns, and has grown many saplings from the tree). The Major Oak is a Quercus Robur, an English or pedunculate oak. It is debatable how old the Major oak is. Some say 800 years old, while others suggest over 1000 years old. It has been nominated as the one of the top 50 trees in Britain by The National Tree Council. The Major Oak's first recorded name was the Cockpen tree, a reference to its use as a cockerel pen to hold the birds before a cockfight. However, the tree became better known as 'The Major's Oak' after it was described in 1790 by a local historian, Major Hayman Rooke. Throughout the 19th century it was also known as the Queen or Queen's Oak. The branches of the tree today are held up by supports. The original supports have been replaced with more slender posts, and the soil underneath the oak is now protected from the compacting of visitors feet by a perimeter fence, which allows rainwater to get to the trees roots. The famous old tree stands at the heart of 450-acre Sherwood Forest Country Park and Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, run by Nottinghamshire County Council to provide a tourist attraction and educational site. This view shows workmen posed in front of the tree before putting metal supports around it.

Date: 1903

Organisation Reference: NCCE004118

Organisation: