Standing in Sherwood Forest for 1,200 years, the Major Oak was one of Britain's most famous trees—until this spring, when no new leaves appeared. The ancient oak, said to have hidden Robin Hood from the Sheriff of Nottingham, has been declared dead by conservationists. The cause is a complex combination of human activity, structural interventions, and climate change that slowly strangled its root system.
The Major Oak is the largest oak in Britain, weighing an estimated 23 tons with a girth of 33ft and a canopy of 92ft. According to legend, Robin Hood and his Merry Men camped beneath its canopy and hid inside its hollow trunk. The tree became a tourist attraction after being mentioned by antiquarian Major Hayman Rooke in his 1790 work *Descriptions and Sketches of some Remarkable Oaks*. It was later named the Major Oak in his honour. Millions of visitors have since flocked to see the tree, but their footsteps compacted the soil around its roots, turning it “as solid as concrete”, according to Yahoo News UK. This prevented rainwater, oxygen and nutrients from reaching the roots. The tree was fenced off by the 1970s to protect it from tourists, but the damage had already been done.
“The 1,200-year-old Major Oak in Sherwood Forest has died, raising questions about the impact of tourism on ancient trees.”
A post-mortem by the RSPB, which manages Sherwood Forest, concluded that the tree's death was rushed forward by “huge amounts of human activity”, exacerbated by droughts, heatwaves, coal mining, and well-meaning structural interventions to keep the tree upright—such as props, bracing chains, fibreglass sheets, concrete infilling, and fire-retardant paint. These interventions, intended to preserve the tree, are now believed to have further stressed it. Simon Parfey of SoilBioLab, who helped care for the Major Oak since 2021, said: “The soil around the Major Oak was under far greater stress than anyone initially realised. Our early surveys revealed a root system that had been quietly struggling for a long time due to naturally poor soil and heavy ground compaction.” The tree produced its final burst of leaves in 2025; by 2026 it was noticeably bare, and the RSPB confirmed its death.
For UK readers, the Major Oak's death is a stark warning about the pressures facing ancient trees, many of which are vulnerable to tourism and climate change. The UK is home to thousands of ancient oaks and yews, some over 1,000 years old. These trees are irreplaceable, providing habitats for wildlife and holding cultural significance. The RSPB’s manager at Sherwood Forest, Chloe Ryder, said: “It’s devastating to accept … a strangled and starved root system in total disconnect to its surrounding environment.” The lessons from the Major Oak will help protect other ancient trees, but balancing public access with conservation is a growing challenge.
Q: Why did the Major Oak die? The death was caused by a “complex combination of issues”: soil compaction from millions of tourists, droughts and heatwaves (including the 40°C record in July 2022), coal mining, and structural supports that interfered with the tree’s natural growth.
Q: What will happen to the Major Oak now? The RSPB says it will remain as a natural monument. The tree is expected to stand but will no longer produce leaves. Conservationists will continue to monitor it, and the site may become a memorial or educational display.
Q: How can other ancient trees be protected? The RSPB and experts recommend limiting footfall, creating buffer zones, using soil decompaction techniques, and avoiding invasive interventions. The Major Oak was fenced off in the 1970s, but by then the damage was done. Proactive soil management and early monitoring are crucial.
What happens next? The RSPB has said it will use the “vital lessons learned here to directly help protect and care for other ancient trees across the nation.” Nottinghamshire County Council and the RSPB are likely to review visitor access to Sherwood Forest’s other ancient oaks, and may introduce stricter conservation measures. The Major Oak itself will become a lasting monument to the perils of loving a tree to death.