The Major Oak — aka Nottingham’s most iconic tree and Robin Hood’s alleged hangout — has officially died.
Yep, the legendary Sherwood Forest oak, thought to be up to 1,200 years old, has finally given up after going its first ever spring without growing any leaves, according to the RSPB.
The conservation charity, which looks after the woodland, said the tree had been struggling for a while. Think heatwaves, drought, and loads of tourists trampling around it — all of which messed with the soil and sped up its decline.
Even the Woodland Trust, which crowned it Tree of the Year back in 2014, admitted it’s basically been loved to death, blaming “excessive tourism”.
One conservation expert, Ed Pyne, didn’t sugarcoat it either: the tree’s death is a bit of a wake-up call. Basically, if we don’t look after ancient trees properly now, don’t expect them to stick around for future generations.
And it’s wild to think how accessible it used to be — visitors could literally walk right up to it and even climb inside its massive hollow trunk. That stopped in the 1970s when it was fenced off, so since then it’s been more of a “look but don’t touch” situation.
Even though it’s no longer alive, the tree isn’t going anywhere just yet. It’ll stay standing as a kind of monument — and still act as a habitat for wildlife.
Local site manager Hollie Drake said the moment they realised it wasn’t coming back this year was “heartbreaking”, especially given how tightly it’s tied to the whole Robin Hood legend.
But it’s not completely the end. Saplings grown from its acorns and cuttings have been planted all over the world, so in a way, the Major Oak is still out there.
