70 Ancient Trees

The Queen’s Green Canopy is delighted to unveil the following 70 Ancient Trees which have been dedicated to Her Majesty in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.

Click here to download the full list.

The Signing Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Windsor Great Park, Berkshire

The Signing Oak in Windsor Great Park is 900 years old. It is one of a number of veteran and ancient trees that form part of the diverse landscape of the Windsor Estate.

The Great Bressingham Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Bressingham Hall, Norfolk

More than 3 million visitors have walked under the boughs of the Great Bressingham Oak tree in the last 60 years. Dating from the time of Elizabeth 1st (or her infamous father Henry VIII), this tree has witnessed an amazing history, including the building of the present day Bressingham Hall in c. 1801.

Chatsworth Alder
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Chatsworth Park, Derbyshire

This Ancient Alder stands by the cricket pitch of Chatsworth Park, a little way from the River Derwent on the other side of the pitch. It is a Tree of National Special Interest (TNSI), and is probably one of the oldest alders in the country.

Queen Elizabeth I Oak
Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)
Cowdray Park, West Sussex

Estate records show that Queen Elizabeth I rested and took lunch under the Oak in 1591 during a hunting trip to Cowdray Estate deer park. One of the largest and oldest sessile oak trees in the UK, this oak is still living and is estimated to be around 1,000 years old. It forms part of the Cowdray Estate Deer Park, which combined with the neighbouring arboretum and benbow pond make it a popular attraction for Midhurst locals and tourists, with stunning views of the South Downs.

Doddington Sweet Chestnut
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)
Doddington Hall, Lincoln, Lincolnshire

Likely to be up to 450 years old, this is one of 3 exceptional sweet chestnut trees growing at Doddington Hall. This specimen is starting to layer and has fantastic character. All three are still very productive despite their great age and the fact that they are twisted and contorted due to a viral infection.

Ullswater Silver Birch
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
Ullswater, Cumbria

This birch is of exceptional size and condition for its species, especially having grown in an upland environment of Cumbria where conditions are tougher and much more variable. It is thought to be older than it looks.

St Edward’s Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
St Edward’s Church, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

This ancient yew is one of two which frame the door of St Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold. Allegedly, the character of this door inspired J.R.R Tolkien in his writing of the Doors of Durin, the west gate of Moria, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The door is visited daily by tourists who take photos of this distinctive tree.

Lambeth Palace Fig
‘White Marseilles’ fig (Ficus carica)
Lambeth Palace, London

This fig tree is of the White Marseilles variety and was given as a gift to Lambeth Palace by the Vatican. Now found in the courtyard adjacent to the Great Hall, it was originally planted in the garden by Cardinal Pole, who was the last Roman Catholic Archbishop from 1556-1558.

John Keats’ Mulberry
Black mulberry (Morus nigra)
Keats House Museum, London

This mulberry tree can be found in the grounds of Keats House Museum, and grows in the same garden where renowned poet John Keats is believed to have written some of his most famous poems including ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, which is most closely associated with the house; the story being that Keats heard a Nightingale singing in the garden or nearby Heath and went to sit under a plum tree to write, what would become, one of his best-loved works.

The Raydale Holly
Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Woldside Wood, Raydale Grange, North Yorkshire

This holly tree is part of a collection growing as an ancient coppice in Woldside Wood, Raydale. A collection of neighbouring ancient alders can also be found nearby.

The Much Marcle Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
Much Marcle Church, Ledbury, Herefordshire

This yew has a huge hollow which is unusual to see for an ancient maiden yew. Within the hollow there are two benches and in the past, parish notices were often nailed inside the tree, serving as a community notice board.

The Royal Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Boscobel House, Boscobel, Shropshire

The Royal Oak is the tree within which King Charles II hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Today, the lost oak pasture has been restored including trees propagated from the original Royal Oak.

The Great Veteran Lime
Common lime (Tilia x europaea)
Wrest Park, Bedfordshire

This lime tree was thought to be planted around 1670 and aligns with avenues shown in maps and plans by Kipp 1705, Lawrence 1719 and Roque 1737. Today it remains a stately tree, and a habitat for a wide range of plants and animals, including mistletoe which can be clearly seen during autumn and winter.

Osborne House Cork Oak
Cork oak (Quercus suber)
Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight

This cork oak is found at Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s holiday home on the Isle of Wight. This tree is one of two cork oaks planted on 4th December 1847 by Prince Albert and his daughter Princess Alice, who was 4 years old at the time.

Restormel Sessile Oak
Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)
Restormel Castle, Cornwall

This sessile oak sits on a lane in the Fowey Valley alongside Restormel Castle and close to Restormel Manor, the sixteenth-century house of The Prince of Wales in Cornwall. It is a 5.54m maiden oak and is around 400 years old. It has fantastic links to the Civil War, and action took place in 1644 around the tree and the castle.

The Hangman’s Tree
English oak (Quercus robur)
Shane’s Castle, Randalstown, County Antrim

This is one of the largest oaks on Shane’s Castle Estate, which supports some of the oldest and largest oaks in Northern Ireland. It is thought to be over 350 years old.

The Marriage Tree
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Finzean Estate,Banchory, Aberdeenshire

This is a remarkable tree, known as the Twin Trees or the Marriage Tree, found on Finzean Estate in Aberdeenshire. A branch of one Scots Pine has seamlessly grafted itself to the trunk of a neighbouring tree, to form a perfect natural arch. The tree is about 100 years old and is on the list of Heritage Trees of Scotland.

The Hirsel Tulip Tree
Tulip (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Hirsel Estate, Coldstream, Scottish Borders

This is one of Scotland’s oldest surviving tulip trees, found in the centre of the walled garden on the Hirsel Estate in the Scottish Borders. One of Scotland’s designated Heritage Trees, it is thought to have been planted in 1742.

The Giant
European silver fir (Abies alba)
Ardkinglas Woodland Garden, Cairndow, Argyll and Bute

This impressive National Champion silver fir, also known as The Giant or The Monster, is thought to be the largest in the UK and reputed to be the ‘mightiest conifer in Europe’. It is nearly 10 metres in size, which is huge for this species, and has four huge trunks arising from its waist.

The Brahan Elm
Wych elm (Ulmus glabra)
Brahan Estate, Dingwall, Ross-shire

The enormous ancient Brahan Elm is the UK Champion wych elm and is found on the Brahan Estate in Dingwall, Scotland. This large, relatively scarce deciduous tree supports abundant insect life in the forest, but is at risk due to the spread of Dutch elm disease.

The Balmerino Sweet Chestnut
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)
Balmerino Abbey, Newport-on-Tay, Fife

This tree can be found in the peaceful ruins of Balmerino Abbey. It has a huge trunk with twisted grain and its two main limbs appear to wrap around each other, supporting its weight. It is said to have been planted by Mary Queen of Scots in 1565 whilst on a two day stay at the Abbey, and dating confirms the tree to be between 390-425 years old.

The Drumlanrig Douglas
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Drumlanrig Castle Gardens, Queensbury Estate, Dumfries and Galloway

The Drumlanrig Douglas Fir is thought to be the first Douglas Fir planted in the UK. David Douglas, the great plant explorer, had a brother, John, who was the master of works on the estate at the time and sent the seed home before he returned from his trip with instructions to plant. The tree was hence planted in 1829.

Dumfries House Sycamore
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Dumfries House, Cumnock, East Ayrshire

Reputed to have been planted in 1599, the tree stands at the top of the walled garden at Dumfries House and was the only surviving tree within the walled garden. At 422 years old she is a grand old lady.

Dundonnell Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
Dundonnell House Gardens, Wester Ross

The Dundonnell Yew is believed to be the second oldest yew in Scotland, after the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire. It is certainly the most northerly ancient yew in the UK, and has a girth of more than 10 metres. It stands at the centre of the gardens of grade A-listed Dundonnell House, built in 1769.

Coed Glaslyn Rowan
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Coed Glaslyn, Powys

This ancient rowan’s very remote setting has contributed to its huge growth. Rowan do not typically grow to large sizes, so to find one of this size highlights the potential for undisturbed nature.

Curley Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Wentwood, Newport

The tree is growing within a very ancient woodland which is referred to heavily throughout ancient texts. The Royal Forest of Wentwood had its own forest laws and courts were held twice yearly at Forester’s Oaks, above Wentwood Reservoir. The Curley Oak’s overall condition, combined with site history, suggest that it could be one of the oldest oaks in Wales.

Plas Newydd Beech
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey

This multi-stemmed beech has the largest trunk of any beech tree in Britain with a girth of over 10m. It looks as though it is several trees fused together, though it is more likely to be an old hedgerow tree that was cut at ground level hundreds of years ago whose multiple stems then re-grew.

The Buttington Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
All Saints Church, Buttington, Powys

The Buttington Yew has the oldest known planting date of any yew tree in Britain. It was planted in 893CE to commemorate the Battle of Buttington where the English and Welsh armies, led by King Alfred the Great & King Merfyn of Powys respectively, besieged and defeated the viking raiders of Prince Hastein.

Llangernyw Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
St Digain’s Church Yard, Llangernyw, Conwy

Poet Margaret Sandbach of nearby Hafodunos Hall, described a funeral here in 1852: “I was walking down to the village one day in the spring – there had been a heavy shower, and a beautiful and striking scene met my eye as I approached the church. There was a funeral – and under the old yew tree a dark group of mourners had gathered around the grave – a gleam of light fell upon the spot – a rainbow made a bright arch above, and the misty shower was fading away on the hills. Earth and heaven seemed blended then – the dark group below – the brightness above. It was perfectly calm too, and not a sound disturbed the solemnity of the scene…”

Prisk Wood Small Leaved Lime
Small leaved lime (Tilia cordata)
Prisk Wood, Monmouthshire

Limes were favoured in the Wye Valley due to their fibrous bark’s utility in rope-making. Prisk Wood is home to this spectacular example of an ancient, multi-stemmed small leaved lime. At first sight the trunks appear to be separate trees but in fact it is all one individual.

Newtown Wild Black Poplar
Wild black poplar (Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia)
Newtown Y Drenewydd, Powys

One of the largest wild black poplar recorded among only around 7,000 remaining in the UK. The black poplar is one of Britain’s rarest and most endangered native species in uncultivated environments.

Wyesham Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Wyesham, Monmouthshire

Now the centrepiece for a housing estate and much adored by local residents, the Wyesham Oak pre-dates Monmouth’s gated Monnow Bridge and is thought to have been growing around the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s birth circa 1095.

Pulpit Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
St James Churchyard, Nantglyn, Denbighshire

The hollow trunk of this ancient yew is adorned with Welsh slate steps leading to an outdoor pulpit with a seat and podium at its top which really must be seen to be believed. Over the centuries many sermons have been preached from here. Legend has it that John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, preached from here.

Vangarde Crack Willow
Crack willow (Salix fragilis)
Vangarde Shopping Centre, York, North Yorkshire

The willow at Vangarde has been retained as a veteran tree in a reduced, pollarded form to act as a keystone structure in the landscape. Living trees with decay will hollow, and are regarded as keystone habitat. This is one of the largest crack willows in the UK with a girth of 7.8m.

The Preston Twin Elm
English Elm (Ulmus procera)
Preston Park, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex

Until as recently as 2019, the ancient elm at Preston Park was one of a pair. Brighton proudly boasted two of the largest and oldest English elms in the world. Each of the ‘Preston Twins’ were thought to be around 400 years old. Despite efforts to preserve both, one of the twins was felled to protect the other after contracting Dutch Elm Disease.

Crom Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
Crom Castle, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh

The Crom Yew is actually two yews entwined together, one male and one female. The larger, older female yew is of a considerable age, although how old exactly has been the subject of debate with some estimates of 800 years old. As if that wasn’t romantic enough, legend has it that Hugh O’Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, bade farewell to his lady love beneath the ancient yew at the time of ‘The Flight of the Earls’ in 1607.

The Ashbrittle Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
St John the Baptist Church, Ashbrittle, Somerset

This is a fantastic, multistem example of the yew’s longevity, The Ashbrittle Yew has previously been certified as 3,000 years old. For reference, Stonehenge was still in use as this tree matured. The 15th Century church which shares this yard would be considered ancient by some, but the yew is nearly six times its senior.

Camusnagaul Pollarded Oak
Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)
Achaphubuil, Lochaber, The Highlands

Camusnagaul Woodland is composed largely of downy birch and sessile oak with both shrubby and moss ground flora.

The Old Spanish Chestnut
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)
Castle Leod, Ross-shire

This tree is one of three in total which were planted in 1553 to commemorate a visit by Marie de Guise, Queen of France, and the granting of sasines by Mary Queen of Scots (legal documents recording the transfer of land ownership).

The Defynnog Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
St Cynog’s Churchyard, Defynnog, Powys

By some estimates this is the oldest yew in the UK, and certainly one of the most treasured. With a girth of around ten metres, the Defynnog Yew tree is nearly as wide as it is tall and inspired the local village pub’s name.

The Oak at the Gate of the Dead
English oak (Quercus robur)
Maesgwyn Estate, Chirk, Wrexham

An exceptional ancient oak and a heritage tree, this 2013 Tree of the Year winner is thought to date back to the reign of Egbert, King of Wessex, in 802. It was at this site in 1165 that Welsh forces ambushed an invading English army in the Battle of Crogen, and the dead are buried nearby.

The St Andrews Holm Oak
Holm oak (Quercus ilex)
University of St Andrews, Fife

One of the Forestry Commission Scotland’s 100 ‘Heritage Trees of Scotland’ in 2004. The St Andrews Holm Oak is a fine example of a species of evergreen oak introduced to the UK in the 16th Century. Core dating puts the origins of this tree at around 1740.

Hafod Beech
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Hafod Uchtryd, Ceredigion

Hafod Estate’s beech tree is likely to be one of the millions of trees planted by Thomas Johnes while he owned and managed Hafod in the late 18th and early 19th Century . Thomas Johnes, recipient of five silvicultural medals from the Royal Society for Arts, formed the estate into a Picturesque landscape incorporating the Welsh wilderness into his designs.

Drumlanrig Sycamore
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway

One of the largest sycamore trees in the UK continues to grow in the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle. Finding sycamore that are truly ancient in the UK are rare which indicates this could be an early planting. The crown cover from this tree covers 1/5th of an acre.

Niel Gow’s Oak
Sessile oak (Quercus petraea)
Craigvinean Forest, Perth and Kinross

Niel Gow, the famous Scottish fiddler, was reputed to have composed some of his best known strathspeys and reels under this tree in the late 1700s. This tree was likely planted by the “Planting” Dukes of Atholl around 300 years ago. During the 18th and 19th Centuries they planted around 27 million conifers on Atholl Estates in an effort to reforest Scotland. It was the winner of the Woodland Trust’s first ever Scotland Tree of the Year.

The Drumtochty Spruce
Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Drumtochty Castle, Kincardineshire

This is one of the first sitka spruce planted in Europe, and one of the tallest in Scotland.

Torphichen Horse Chestnut
European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
Torphichen Churchyard, West Lothian

Steeped in history, the horse chestnut tree is located in the churchyard of Torphichen Kirk which was originally the grounds of Torphichen Preceptory, a monastery of the military orders of Knights Templars and Knights Hospitallers. Torphichen churchyard’s tranquil setting is marked by a standing stone thought to have been used by St Ninian who settled here in the 4th Century.

Hopetoun Field Maple
Field maple (Acer campestre)
Hopetoun House, West Lothian

Hopetoun House’s West Park is home to this field maple, a country champion. The initial layout of the grounds at Hopetoun was overseen by Sir William Bruce (c.1630–1710). The field maple is indicated on the Roy Military Map of 1755 as part of a larger area of woodland.

Tilgate Hawthorn
Common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Crawley, West Sussex

This is an amazing example of an ancient hawthorn. Retained during the 1960s despite development in the area, the trunk of the tree is hollow and split as if cleaved by a giant. It is rare to find a tree like this in an urban setting.

The Florence Court Yew
Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’)
Florence Court, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh

This Irish yew is considered one of the most important trees on the isle of Ireland and represents the origins of the Irish yew cultivar. As a female specimen of a dioecious genus, the only way for this plant to reproduce is through cuttings. As a popular cultivar this has impacted the figure of this yew at Florence Court, though it is now mother to millions of offspring across the world.

The Ankerwycke Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
Wraysbury, Berkshire

At 2,500 years old, the Ankerwycke Yew is the National Trust’s oldest tree. It has been reported that King Henry VIII courted and even proposed to Anne Boleyn beneath this tree. Others believe Magna Carta was sealed here, rather than the more popular consensus of Runnymede just across the river from here.

Hafod Sequoia
Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum
Hafod Uchtryd

The tallest tree on the Hafod Estate.

Dundonnell Alder
Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Dundonnell, Highland

To have an alder growing to this size is rare, let alone in the elevated and exposed conditions of the Scottish Highland.

Antony House Black Walnut
Eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Antony House, Torpoint, Cornwall

Estate records show that this majestic black walnut was planted at Antony House in 1785. Its age and location suggests it could have a genetic legacy throughout the UK and beyond. This New World species was introduced to the UK in the late 17th Century.

Parent Larch
European larch (Larix decidua)
Dunkeld Cathedral, Perthshire

This larch at Dunkeld Cathedral is one of the largest European larch in the UK. It was the last of five trees planted for Duke James of Atholl in 1738. Plantings of larch across the UK have grown from seeds sown from this tree.

The Great Cedar
Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani)
Painshill Park, Cobham, Surrey

Painshill Park is a fine example of an 18th Century landscape garden in the style of ‘Jardin a l’anglaise’, a more naturalistic response to the mathematical symmetry of French garden design at the time. The Great Cedar here is thought to be the largest multi-stemmed cedar in Europe.

Plas Newydd English Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey

Positioned in the ‘West Indies’ section of the gardens at Plas Newydd, this oak tree is thought to be aged upwards of 400 years. Its hollow trunk gives an indication of this, though difficult to confirm.

Eddington Veteran Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Turing Way, Eddington, Cambridgeshire

The Veteran Oak Tree at Eddington is estimated to be approximately 430 years old. It is likely to have seeded around 1592 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I who was monarch from 1558 to 1603.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Tree
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Tolpuddle, Dorset

TIn 1833 six agricultural labourers, later known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, would meet at this tree to organise efforts to improve working conditions. They were caught and sentenced to penal transportation in Australia, though this was overturned three years later due to massive public outcry. The sycamore is now accompanied by a shelter and statues as monuments to this courageous group.

Colesbourne Oriental Plane
Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis)
Colesbourne Park Arboretum, Gloucestershire

The Colesbourne Arboretum houses this gnarled Oriental Plane which started its life as a cutting taken from a Chinese emperor’s tomb in 1901. The tree has been recorded in a number of books, magazine and newspaper articles over many years. This arboretum is also home to 13 UK Champion Trees, definitive specimens qualifying as the tallest and largest of their kind in the country.

Robert The Bruce’s Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
Loch Lomond, Argyll and Bute, Stirlingshire

It was reputedly beneath this yew on the rocky outcrop of Loch Lomond where Robert the Bruce and 200 of his allies rested in the first days of their 14th Century campaign. Situated in a place called Stuc an T’Iobhairt, translated from Scottish Gaelic as the Hill of the Sacrifice, upper estimates of this tree’s age put it well over 1,000 years.

Twisted Beech
Common beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Tehidy Country Park, Cornwall

An icon of Tehidy Country Park, this visually stunning beech is a favourite with the local Cornish community and other visitors. The reasons for its twisted form are not fully understood. Typical of beeches because of their smooth bark, this ancient tree is etched with graffiti, some dating as far back as the 19th Century.

The Original Bramley Apple
Apple tree (Malus domestica)
Southwell, Nottinghamshire

This is the original Bramley apple tree, considered king of the cooking apples and first cultivated in the UK. Though fighting on, it is thought to be dying due to honey fungus. Efforts are underway from Nottingham Trent University to preserve this historic tree. Since its original sowing circa 1809, there are now more than 300 Bramley growers in England alone.

Sherwood Forest Crab Apple
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
Sherwood Forest Country Park, Nottinghamshire

The oaks may be the stars of the show at Sherwood Forest, however there are other ancient species that are often overlooked such as this ancient crab apple. It has very recently been fenced off to aid protection against increased footfall. Crab apples are edible, but they are small, hard and bitter.

Baobab Plane
London plane (Platanus hispanica)
Westgate Gardens, Canterbury, Kent

The largest example of the ‘baobab plane’ found in Canterbury; a cultivar of the London plane believed to be suffering from a viral infection leading to visual similarities to the charismatic African baobab tree. Seven of these trees are positioned throughout Canterbury in a cruciform design. It is not yet known if this layout across the city was intentional.

Newton’s Apple Tree
Apple tree (Malus domestica)
Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire

According to scientific legend, this apple tree inspired Isaac Newton to develop his theory of gravity; a revolution in the history of scientific thought. Newton constantly took influence from the natural world, and this tree inspired the question: ‘Why do apples always fall straight down to the ground?’

St Melangell’s Yew
Common yew (Taxus baccata)
St Melangell’s Churchyard, Pennant Melangell

Common for this type of tree, this multistem yew is one of six trees positioned in a churchyard. It is thought to be over 2,000 years old. Historically yew trees have been bestowed with sacred power across a variety of religions and belief systems. This is in part due to their toxicity to humans and their extremely long lives.

Willesley Park Sweet Chestnut
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)
Willesley Park Golf Course, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire

Growing in the corner of Willesley golf course, this sweet chestnut is of a fantastic height and girth.

The Belvoir Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Belvoir Park Forest, Ulster

The Belvoir Oak is estimated to be 500 years old and is possibly the oldest oak in Northern Ireland. Located in Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast, it is recognised as part of the country’s living heritage, having witnessed the growth of Belfast from a small settlement to the city it is today.

The Major Oak
English oak (Quercus robur)
Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

The Major Oak has been standing for anywhere between 800 – 1100 years, suggesting it may have stood through the Vikings, the Battle of Hastings, Agincourt, Waterloo, the births and deaths of Shakespeare, Henry VII, Dickens, Darwin, Newton, Chaucer, Cromwell, the two World Wars, and over 50 monarchs! It is the biggest oak tree in Britain, with a canopy spread of 28 metres, a trunk circumference of 11 metres and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes.