News has reached us from Nottinghamshire that the Major Oak of Sherwood Forest has died.
After twelve centuries of life, the famous tree failed to produce leaves this spring. It is a massive loss, and anyone who values our ancient woodland landscapes will feel diminished by it.
English oak (Quercus robur) in Sherwood Forest, north of Edwinstowe, England, named after Major Hayman Rooke (1723–1806) / Ema Lee / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
A tree living for 1,200 years is incredibly rare. To put its age into perspective, this oak was a sapling just after St Ekenwald died, well before England was even founded as a unified country.
It stood through the entire history of the nation.
Trees like this are the physical anchors of our literature. You cannot separate Sherwood Forest from the stories of Robin Hood, who folklore says used this specific oak for shelter. Here at Soulton Hall, this news hits close to home because of the deep literary ties between our landscapes. While Sherwood is the home of Robin Hood, Soulton is the Forest of Arden—the setting Shakespeare used for As You Like It.
Bluebells in Soulton Wood, the AS YOU LIKE IT wood, 2026
These are real places, but they are also literary spaces where people in stories go to find justice and a simpler way of living.
Sherwood and Arden are two of the most important forests in English literature.
Losing a 1,200-year-old tree like the Major Oak feels like losing a piece of that living history.
While the physical structure of the oak will stay in place as a wildlife habitat, the loss of the living tree is a stark reminder of how fragile our ancient woodland heritage is.
Gog and Magog: two ancient oaks at Soulton named after a city of London Legend
