Major Oak (Sherwood Forest): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 17:34, 2 June 2017
Locality | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 53.204616, -1.072424 |
Adm. div. | Nottinghamshire |
Vicinity | Near Edwinstowe, in Sherwood Forest |
Type | Natural feature |
Interest | Local tradition |
Status | Extant |
First Record | 1790 |
By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2016-05-16. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2017-06-02.
The Major Oak is a large English Oak (Quercus robur) near the village of Edwinstowe in Sherwood Forest. At least since Walter Scott's Ivanhoe was published in 1820, this tree has been connected with Robin Hood. Thus Wikipedia notes that "[a]ccording to local folklore, it was Robin Hood's shelter where he and his merry men slept."[1]
Weighing an estimated 23 tons, the tree has a girth of c. 10 metres and a canopy c. 28 metres' circumference. It is believed to be 800 to 1000 years old. Since the Victorian era its massive limbs have been supported by an elaborate system of scaffolding. The Major Oak was voted "Britain's favourite tree" in a 2002 poll, while in 2014 it was voted "England's Tree of the Year" by a public poll arranged by the Woodland Trust.[2]
In 1790 the tree was described as follows by the antiquary Hayman Rooke in his illustrated pamphlet on remarkable trees in Nottinghamshire:[3]
There is, about five miles from Welbeck, on Sherwood Forest, and in the Duke of Portland's manor, a beautiful wood, or rather grove, consisting of above ten thousand old oaks, with birches intermixed, from whence it is called Birchland; the whole occupying a space of about eighteen hundred acres. On the north side of the great riding is a most curious antient oak, which, before the depredations made by time on its venerable trunk, might almost have vied with the celebrated Cowthorpe oak, for size [...] It measures, near the ground, 34 feet 4 inches in circumference; at one yard, 27 feet 4 inches; at two yards, 31 feet 9 inches. The trunk, which is wonderfully distorted, plainly appears to have been much larger; and the parts from whence large pieces have fallen off are distinguishable; the inside is [p. 14:] decayed and hollowed out by age, which, with the assistance of the axe, might be made wide enough to admit a carriage through it. I think no one can behold this majestic ruin without pronouncing it to be of very remote antiquity; and might venture to say, that it cannot be much less than a thousand years old.[4]
Rooke was a retired major, and it was this fact together with his description of the tree that caused it subsequently to be named the Major Oak.[5]
The Major Oak is shown on the map of the 1841 tithe award for Edwinstowe, and the tithe award schedule includes a plot of land described as "part of forest [...] road to Budby & Major Oak".[6]
By 1914 someone had decided that the Major Oak ought instead to be named the Queen Oak, and it is indicated under that name on 6" O.S. maps prepared during the period 1914-38.[7]
Gazetteers
- Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), but see p. 303, s.n. 'Robin Hood's Larder'.
MS sources
- Tithe award schedule for Edwinstowe (1841) (Genealogist.co.uk – Piece 26, sub-piece 043, image 031; paid subscription required)
- Tithe award map for Edwinstowe (1841) (Genealogist.co.uk – Piece 26, sub-piece 043, sub-piece 001; paid subscription required).
Printed sources
- Rooke, Hayman. Descriptions and Sketches of some Remarkable Oaks in the Park at Welbeck in the County of Nottingham, a Seat of His Grace the Duke of Portland, to which are added Observations on the Age and Durability of that Tree with Remarks on the Annual Growth of the Acorn (London, 1790); web version prepared by John Farmer
- The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest, England, by John Farmer.
Maps
- O.S. 6" Nottinghamshire XVIII.SE (1884; surveyed 1883-1884)
- O.S. 6" Nottinghamshire XVIII.SE (1900; rev. 1897)
- O.S. 6" Nottinghamshire XVIII.SE (1921; rev. 1914); the Major Oak indicated as "The Queen Oak"
- O.S. 6" Nottinghamshire XVIII.SE (c. 1948; rev. 1938); the Major Oak indicated as "The Queen Oak".
Postcards
Background
- BBC: 'Robin Hood' Major Oak wins Tree of the Year competition
- Wikipedia: Hayman Rooke
- Wikipedia: Major Oak
- Nottinghamshire County Council: History of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and Major Oak.
Also see
Notes
- ↑ Wikipedia: Major Oak.
- ↑ Wikipedia: Major Oak.
- ↑ Wikipedia: Hayman Rooke.
- ↑ Web version of Rooke, Hayman. Descriptions and Sketches of some Remarkable Oaks in the Park at Welbeck in the County of Nottingham, a Seat of His Grace the Duke of Portland, to which are added Observations on the Age and Durability of that Tree with Remarks on the Annual Growth of the Acorn (London, 1790).
- ↑ Nottinghamshire County Council: History of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and Major Oak.
- ↑ Tithe award schedule for Edwinstowe (1841) (Genealogist.co.uk – Piece 26, sub-piece 043, image 031; paid subscription required); Tithe award map for Edwinstowe (1841) (Genealogist.co.uk – Piece 26, sub-piece 043, sub-piece 001; paid subscription required).
- ↑ See O.S. 6" Nottinghamshire XVIII.SE (1921; rev. 1914) and O.S. 6" Nottinghamshire XVIII.SE (c. 1948; rev. 1938).
Image gallery
Click any image to display it in the lightbox, where you can navigate between images by clicking in the right (or left) side of the current image.
- Dennis, E T W 196xa recto.jpg
E.T.W. Dennis & Sons Ltd. Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire (Scarborough, [n.d.]). Photographic postcard / Private collection.
- Judges 20xxa recto.jpg
Judges. Major Oak. Hastings Judges, [20??]. Photographic postcard (col.) / Private collection.
The Major Oak in December 2006 / Photo: Marcin Floryan.
- Anonymous 19xxd recto.jpg
Undated postcard, no publisher stated. Photographic postcard (b/w) / Private collection.
- Anonymous 19xxe recto.jpg
Undated postcard, no publisher stated. Photographic postcard (b/w) / Private collection.
- Frith, Francis 1962a recto.jpg
F. Frith & Co. Ltd. The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest ([Reigate, Surrey], [1962 or earlier]). Photographic postcard (b/w) / Private collection.
- Frith, Francis 19xxb recto.jpg
F. Frith & Co. Ltd. Major Oak Sherwood Forest (Reigate, [Surrey], [s.d.]) / b/w postcard / Private collection.
- Pattreiouex J A 1936a recto.jpg
J.A. Pattreiouex cigarette card (1936) / Private collection.
- Willman, F 19xxa recto.jpg
F. Willman. Major Oak, Sherwood Forest (Mansfield, [s.d.]) Col. postcard / Private collection
The Major Oak in October 2012 / Photo: 'XXLRay'.
The Major Oak in October 2013 / Photo: 'Dadulinka'.