The Master Oak.
No one knows how old this ancient oak is, but it is believed to have been an acorn during the time of King Henry VIII (1491-1597).
During his reign many oaks were felled for the building of his warships, as timber for barns, barrels, furniture and for firewood. Oak smoke was also used to cure food as a way to preserve it.
It was certainly growing well in the late 17th century, when the Poet Laureate, John Dryden, rewrote a verse from Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales':
"The monarch oak, the patriarch of the trees,
Shoots rising up, and spreads by slow degrees.
Three centuries he grows, and three he stays
Supreme in state; and in three more decays."
The Master has a shape that shows that it probably had its branches and top removed to encourage growth. The pollarded wood was probably used for fuel.
