Oxfordshire
Private Estate
This estate has a wonderful array of very special trees. We gathered acorns from here in 2015 and had a wonderful tour with the estate manager. The owner has recently expressed his preference not to name the estate publicly, but we feel it correct to inform purchasers of its name when they buy oaklings grown from these trees.
The trees we visited were truly magical and magnificent in every way, and we hardly even explored the estate fully.
Holly's Oak
Species: Quercus robur (Pedunculate Oak)
Estimated Age (in 2025): 870 years
Form: Maiden - an absolutely incredible tree. Take note of Benedict standing to the right of the tree in the photo for a sense of scale, with 'Holly' - the estate manager's dog - just to his right.
Girth at 1.5m: 8.9m (measured in 2015).
Estimated Year of Birth: 1155 AD
Reigning Monarch at the time: Henry II.
Story: unofficially we named this oak after the estate manager's dog, Holly, who seemed equally transfixed by its majesty. Perhaps she was born around the time Henry II acceded to the throne (in 1154) and we'd like to think she is as fertile as Henry and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, who bore him eight children! Go forth and prosper Mighty Fine Oak!!
Sizes available (approximate) (get in touch for prices).
180-250cm, 15 Litre pots (1, but not yet for sale).
180-250cm, 20 Litre pots (1, but not yet for sale).
250-350cm, 30 Litre pots (1 available).
250-350cm, 35L (1 available).
350-450cm, 90L (4 available).
400-500cm, 130L (1 available).
Oakling ages: 10-year-olds (2015 seed).
ID codes: BP 1565.
Ancient Oak
Species: Quercus robur (Pedunculate Oak)
Estimated Age (in 2025): 1,056 years.
Form: natural Pollard - truly one of the behemoths of large-girthed British oaks.
Girth at 1.5m: 10.05m (measured in 2015).
Estimated Year of Birth: 969 AD - of course these ages are more or less guesstimates, but such a long life is quite possible for such a gargantuan size of oak.
Reigning Monarch at the time: Edgar 'The Peaceful' (reigned 959-975 AD).
Story: another extremely old oak and a good example of a tree awaiting a more formal name, and certainly something more imaginative than 'Ancient Oak' although that does describe it well! This seems to be the only tree that we guesstimate might have been born in the reign of Edgar 'The Peaceful'.
Sizes available (approximate) (get in touch for prices).
180-250cm, 12 Litre pots (1, but not yet for sale).
300-4000cm, 70L (2 available).
350-450cm, 90L (5 available).
400-500cm, 130L (1 available).
Oakling ages: 10-year-olds (2015 seed).
ID codes: BP 1566.
Badger Oak
Species: Quercus robur (Pedunculate Oak)
Estimated Age (in 2025): 830 years (although this tree is almost the same girth as Holly's Oak, we have reduced our estimation of its age slightly, as there was an unavoidable burr on the trunk when measuring it's girth which tends to slightly overinflate the age estimation of oaks).
Form: natural Pollard - truly one of the behemoths of large-girthed British oaks.
Girth at 1.5m: 8.9m (measured in 2015).
Estimated Year of Birth: 1195 AD - of course these ages are more or less guesstimates, but such a long life is quite possible for such a gargantuan size of oak.
Reigning Monarch at the time: Richard I 'The Lionheart' (reigned 1189-1199 AD).
Story: one of many extraordinary oaks on this land, and one which had a badger sett beneath it, once again showing the generosity of oak and its happiness in accommodating all sorts of wildlife under its broad canopy. Perhaps it first sprouted as The 'Coeur de Lion' was Crusading in the Orient.
Sizes available (approximate) (get in touch for prices).
180-250cm, 12 Litre pots (1, but not yet for sale).
350-450cm, 90L (2 available).
Oakling ages: 10-year-olds (2015 seed).
ID codes: BP 1569.