Wiltshire
The Giant Oaks of the Savernake Forest
The Savernake Forest is one of the great historic forests of England. Although once even larger, it still spans c. 4,500 acres, and contains some of the great ancient English Oaks, a few of which are perhaps over 1,000 years old. We gathered acorns from these trees with kind permission of the land agents, in 2025.
It is open to the public and well worth a visit. Truly a magical place.
https://www.visitpewseyvale.co.uk/business-directory/savernake-forest/
Big Belly Oak
Species: Quercus petraea (Sessile Oak)
Estimated Age (in 2025): 1026 years
Form: Pollard - one of the iconic Oaks of England, standing right beside the busy A346 Marlborough to Salisbury thoroughfare.
Girth at 1.5m: 11.18m (measured by others - I shall revisit this to get an accurate new measurement).
Estimated Year of Birth: who knows!? But a rough guess might put it around 1000 AD!
Reigning Monarch at the time: Æthelred II, known as "the Unready,"
Story: there is much folklore surrounding this tree. It is also a tree the famous Zoologist and Surrealist Artist, Desmond Morris (born 1928-) knows well from his youth growing up nearby.
Sizes available:
A very limited number of bare-root saplings may be available
FROM AUTUMN 2026
Oakling ages: first acorns gathered 2025
ID codes: BP 1877
Cathedral Oak
Species: Quercus robur (English or Pedunculate Oak)
Estimated Age (in 2025): 1111 years - this is very much guesswork when trees get to this size - but hey, seems to fit with the ageing models used by some people.
Form: one of the finest Pollard oaks I have seen. The whole tree intact and strong and commanding. It sits just off one of the more obscure paths deep in the forest, nice and sheltered.
Girth at 1.5m: 10.37m (measured 3rd September 2025 at height of 1.2m above ground) or 10.52m at 1.5m above ground.
Estimated Year of Birth: 915 AD
Reigning Monarch at the time: Edward the Elder, King of the Anglo-Saxons (r. 899–924).
History: although it is pure conjecture, as we can't really say what age this tree is, there is every chance it was already a fine stout tall oak, c. 150+ years old when the Normans decided on hopping across the Channel imbued with feudal ambition and a land-hungry conquest for new fiefs (nouveaux fiefs). It was fundamentally a territorial conquest to secure land for a land-poor Norman-French aristocracy - a "new realm" ('Nouveau Royaume') approach where Norman-French law and land tenure replaced the Saxon system, allowing followers to seize land (terres).
Sizes available:
A very limited number of bare-root saplings may be available
FROM AUTUMN 2026
Oakling ages: first acorns gathered 2025
ID codes: BP 1878 & 1892
The King of Limbs
Species: Quercus petraea (Sessile Oak)
Estimated Age: 1025 years (rather much a piece of guesswork!
Form: a much disassembled Pollard oak, but with some very strong healthy parts still going well.
Girth at 0.4m: 10.25m (measured by others in 2011).
Estimated Year of Birth: 1001 AD.
Reigning Monarch at the time: King Æthelred II (the Unready).
Story: this famous oak inspired the Oxford rock superstars Radiohead, when they were recording the eponymous album in nearby Tottenham House.
Sizes available:
A very limited number of bare-root saplings may be available
FROM AUTUMN 2026
Oakling ages: first acorns gathered 2025
ID codes: BP 1925