The Major Oak is a huge oak tree near the village of Edwinstowe in the heart 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), and is about 800–1000 years old.[1] In June 2002, the Tree Council designated the Major Oak one of fifty Great British Trees in recognition of its place in the national heritage.
Contents |
It took its present name from Major Hayman Rooke's description of it in 1790.[2]
There are several theories concerning why it became so huge and oddly shaped:
Since the Victorian era its massive limbs have been partially supported by an elaborate system of scaffolding.
In February 1998, a local company took cuttings from the Major Oak and began cultivating clones of the famous tree with the intention of sending saplings to be planted in major cities around the world. Also in 1998, a Mansfield resident was cautioned by the Nottinghamshire Police for selling alleged Major Oak acorns (including a certificate of authenticity) to unsuspecting Americans via an Internet-based mail-order company. On October 1, 2002, another news story broke about someone illegally selling acorns from the Major Oak on an Internet-based auction website.[3]
In 2003, in Dorset a plantation was started of 260 saplings grown from acorns of the Major Oak. The purpose was to provide a focal point 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.[4]
The Major Oak was featured on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the Midlands.