RSPB Announces Major Oak Dead After 1,000 Years
The major oak in Sherwood Forest has died after failing to produce leaves this year, ending a tree that stood for at least 1,000 years in Nottinghamshire, England. The RSPB announced its passing this week, and visitors gathered beside the tree for an informal farewell.
The oak had an 11-metre girth and a 28-metre canopy, and it drew about 350,000 admirers each year. Robert Brackley, an outdoor educator who spoke beside the tree after the announcement, said: “The stories it has given us is the legacy. It’s the most famous tree in the world. The legend always lives on. I feel sad but it’s a fleeting moment in time. We must remember how it was and be in awe of it today.”
Sherwood Forest and the Major oak
The tree had become stressed by a series of hot, dry summers, including the July 2022 heatwave in Britain, when temperatures reached 40C. It was also weakened over time by poor soil health, soil compaction from visitors and Sherwood’s wartime role as a military camp. Experts believed the props supporting its limbs also placed it under strain.
The Major oak was one of Europe’s oldest, largest and most celebrated ancient trees, and it was tied to Robin Hood folklore. A protective barrier was placed around it in the 1970s. In 1904, props and metal chains were installed to support its branches, and in the 1960s hollow parts were filled with concrete while limbs were clad with lead, then fibre-glass and treated with fire-retardant paint.
Visitors beside the tree
People who came to Sherwood Forest this week treated the site like a farewell stop. Carter Jackson, visiting from Sheffield with his father, Ryan Jackson, paused beside the tree and said: “It’s ginormous!” He added: “It’s a really beautiful tree and it’s sad it’s died.” Ryan Jackson said: “It’s a piece of history that’s dying but it was 1,000 years old, you can’t live for ever.”
Kirsty Champion, who was visiting from Adelaide, said: “Poor tree.” She added: “I always watched Robin Hood on the TV and read the books. It’s so sad that we tried to help it and conserve it but it probably made it worse.”
Robin Hood at Sherwood Forest
Robin Hood arrived in an electric van for an impromptu, informal funeral beside the tree after the RSPB announced the death. England has 114 living ancient oaks with a girth of more than nine metres, while 98 are found across the rest of Europe, including Scotland and Wales.
The tree’s loss leaves Sherwood Forest without the landmark that had drawn about 350,000 visitors a year and stood for at least 1,000 years. For visitors, the tree is now a place to remember rather than a living monument, and the forest’s best-known landmark has moved from care to commemoration.
