The death of the Major Oak

In response to the news that the Major Oak – the UK’s most iconic ancient tree – has died, Ed Pyne, senior conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust, said:

“Ancient trees like the Major Oak are the ‘conservation white rhinos of the UK’ but their decline is far less visible. Saving them is vital to the health of the world we live in and yet most disappear quietly, without the recognition or care given to the Major Oak.

“The Major Oak was the very first tree recorded on our Ancient Tree Inventory, but recording trees alone will not halt their catastrophic decline. We urgently need stronger legal protections for our ancient woods and trees, as well as more investment in their active care. 

“Excessive tourism in Victorian times compacted the soil around the Major Oak’s roots, causing damage that could never fully be reversed. Its decline is a warning – the way we treat ancient trees today will shape whether they survive for future generations. Without this historic damage, the Major Oak could potentially have survived for many more centuries. 

“The Major Oak is the UK’s most iconic ancient tree and it leaves behind a colossal legacy. Even in death, the Major Oak will provide a vital deadwood habitat for some of Europe’s most threatened species. Ancient trees like this one are remarkably resilient and acorns and grafts taken from them may help our trees and forests respond to the changing climate.”

Dame Judi Dench, patron and ambassador for the Trust, said:

“The Major Oak has provided inspiration for countless stories, poems, paintings and people for more than a thousand years – all the while itself teeming with life and providing a home to an enormous range of wildlife. Ancient trees like this one have put air in our lungs and serenity in our hearts for centuries.
 
“I was lucky enough to plant an oak sapling from Sherwood Forest with the Woodland Trust's chief executive, Darren Moorcroft, in my garden recently. It has a special place alongside the cutting from the Sycamore Gap tree. 
 
“I hope everyone who has been inspired by the Major Oak or another ancient tree reaches out to their MP and asks them to improve legal protections for these iconic and vital elements of our national landscape.”