The Major Oak, the 1,000-year-old giant at the heart of Sherwood Forest linked to the legend of Robin Hood, has died. Experts believe the tree, estimated to have stood for up to 1,200 years and one of Europe’s oldest and largest oaks, failed to produce any leaves this spring – its first spring without them.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which manages the Nottinghamshire forest, said a combination of factors hastened its end. Years of “well-intentioned structural intervention and huge amounts of human activity” around the tree were thought to be major contributors. The effects of climate change, including recent heatwaves and droughts – particularly the July 2022 heatwave when Britain baked under record 40C temperatures – compounded challenges the ancient oak naturally faced at its age.
“The 1,000-year-old Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, linked to Robin Hood, has died after failing to produce leaves.”
The tree, with an 11-metre girth and a 28-metre canopy, drew millions of visitors over its life. Legend has it that Robin Hood used its hollow trunk – caused by fungi – as a hideout from the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham. The oak was named “Major” after Major Hayman Rooke, a former British Army soldier who mentioned it in a 1790 book, which prompted the first waves of tourism to the forest.
“The stories it has given us is the legacy,” said Robert Brackley, an outdoor educator who has shown thousands of schoolchildren the wonders of the Major Oak while dressed as Robin Hood. “It’s the most famous tree in the world. The legend always lives on.” Visitors from Spain, Sheffield, the US, South Korea and Australia paused beside the tree to pay respects. Ryan Jackson, visiting with his son Carter, eight, said: “It’s a piece of history that’s dying but it was 1,000 years old, you can’t live for ever.”
Dame Judi Dench, patron and ambassador for the Woodland Trust, paid tribute: “The Major Oak has provided inspiration for countless stories, poems, paintings and people for more than 1,000 years – all the while itself teeming with life and providing a home to an enormous range of wildlife.” She said she had recently planted an oak sapling from Sherwood Forest in her garden.
The Major Oak will remain in place as a habitat for wildlife and a “natural monument” for visitors. Saplings from the tree have been planted across the world.