Major Oak

The Major Oak stands in the heart of Sherwood Forest, near Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire. It is a large English oak, thought to be between 800 and 1,200 years old. The tree once weighed 23 long tons and had a canopy spanning 92 feet at its peak. Local folklore links it to Robin Hood and his Merry Men, who were said to shelter beneath its branches. The tree was originally called the Cockpen Tree after cockfighting once took place beneath it. It was later renamed after Major Hayman Rooke, who described it in his 1790 book. The Major Oak is widely recognised as the UK’s second-largest oak, surpassed only by the Majesty Oak in Kent. In 2002, it was voted Britain’s favourite tree in a public survey. The tree has faced challenges over the centuries, including damage from a 1982 arson attack and stress from hot, dry summers. Support chains were added in 1908, and scaffolding was installed in the 1970s to prop up its massive branches. In 1974, fences were built around the tree to protect its roots from soil compaction caused by visitors. Visitors find the Major Oak within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, where it remains standing despite its death in 2026. The tree’s surroundings include Sherwood Forest, managed by the RSPB, which preserves the site’s natural environment. A plantation of 260 saplings grown from the Major Oak’s acorns was established in Dorset in 2003 for scientific study and public enjoyment. The tree once attracted around 350,000 visitors annually, drawn by its legendary connection to Robin Hood.