Newland Oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newland Oak |
|
|---|---|
An 1836 depiction of the tree
|
|
| Species | English oak (Quercus robur) |
| Location | Newland, Gloucestershire |
| Coordinates | 51°46′48″N 2°39′32″W / 51.780°N 2.659°W |
| Date seeded | c. 1000 |
| Date felled | 1970 |
The Newland Oak was a very old and famous oak tree. It grew in Newland, Gloucestershire, England. It was once part of the huge Forest of Dean. This was a very old forest. The tree survived when land was cleared to build the village of Newland. People later cut its branches in a special way called pollarding. This was done to collect wood.
Many people talked about how big it was. Some even thought it was the biggest oak in Great Britain. It was often compared to the famous Cowthorpe Oak. Sadly, a lot of the tree fell down in heavy snow in 1955. But one branch kept growing until 1970. It was then destroyed in a fire started on purpose. Luckily, a new tree was planted in 1964. It grew from one of the Newland Oak's own acorns!
Contents
The Newland Oak's Long Life
This amazing oak tree started growing around the year 1000 AD. It was part of the huge, ancient Forest of Dean. This forest covered a lot of western Gloucestershire. The tree was an English oak, known scientifically as Quercus robur.
Over many years, much of the forest was cleared. This is how the nearby village of Newland got its name. It means "new land" cleared from the forest. Later, the Newland Oak stood alone in a field. This field was part of Spouts Farm. It was about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northwest of Newland Church. For centuries, people called this tree the "Great Oak." Its branches were cut in a special way called pollarding to collect timber.
How the Newland Oak Became Famous
Because it was one of the biggest oaks in the country, the tree became quite famous. In 1839, a writer named John Timbs called it "one of the most remarkable trees in the country." An drawing of the tree was even put in a book of poems in 1836. The book was called De Wyrhale by P. J. Ducarel.
By 1874, people said the tree looked "battered and decaying." But a nature expert named Edwin Lees thought it might live for another 500 years!
The End of the Original Tree
Sadly, heavy snowfall in May 1955 badly damaged the tree. Much of its structure collapsed. In 1964, it was described as "long much-decayed." One live branch managed to survive. But this last branch was killed by a fire started on purpose in 1970.
A new tree was planted to replace the old one. This new tree grew from one of the original Newland Oak's acorns. Cyril Hart, who was a verderer (a forest official) of the Forest of Dean, planted it. This happened on December 21, 1964. The replacement tree is still growing today! Even in 2011, you could still see a partly rotten piece of the original tree's trunk. Cyril Hart once said that the tree took "200 years to grow, 200 years to exist, and 200 to die."
Measuring the Newland Oak's Size
People often measured the size of the Newland Oak. They usually measured its girth, which is how wide its trunk was all the way around. This was a very common topic of discussion.
Comparing Its Girth
In 1839, the tree's girth was measured at 12.5 meters (41 feet). It was measured again in 1875. With a girth of up to 18.3 meters (60 feet), it was thought to be a challenger to the Cowthorpe Oak. People wondered if it was the oldest tree in Britain.
In 1906, a measurement showed its girth was 13.25 meters (43.5 feet). The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica recorded its girth as 14.5 meters (47 feet, 6 inches). This was measured at 1.5 meters (5 feet) from the ground. In 1931, it was recorded as 14.1 meters (46 feet, 4 inches). This measurement was taken at 0.3 meters (1 foot) above the ground. By 1950, its girth was said to be 13.72 meters (45 feet).
The Cowthorpe Oak fell in 1950. By 1954, the Newland Oak was being called the tree with "the greatest girth of any tree in Britain." A government publication in 1964 also said the Newland Oak had the biggest girth of any tree recorded in Britain in modern times. However, Julian Hight, a writer in 2011, said it was only the second-largest English oak by girth. The Cowthorpe Oak was still the largest.
