22/06/2026
To honour and commemorate The Major Oak, this week we will be delving into the tree’s legendary heritage. Today we’re going back to where the tree planted its roots all those years ago, Sherwood Forest. 💚🌳
Boasting hundreds of ancient oaks that have been thriving here for more than 500 years, Sherwood Forest is a unique place to visit. Among those nestled into the woodlands is our beloved Major Oak. Having endlessly renewed itself, the Major Oak is thought to be between 800 and 1,000 years old, spanning a lifetime of historic events like the Norman Conquest, the English Civil War and the Industrial Revolution to name a few.
The tree became known as the Major Oak after local antiquarian Major Hayman Rooke documented the remarkable tree in his 1790 publication, introducing the oak to a wider audience and having helped establish Sherwood Forest as a destination for visitors from across Britain and beyond.
With a canopy spread of 28 metres at its’ peak vitality, a trunk circumference of 11 metres and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes, the ancient oak has grown into one of the biggest oak trees in the UK as we know it today – staying true to its name.
📸 The Major Oak, 1885 (image credits: Picture Nottingham, www.picturenottingham.co.uk
Visit Sherwood Forest
