One of Britain’s oldest trees — and Robin Hood’s legendary Sherwood refuge — may have died

LONDON, June 19 — An ancient oak tree in England’s Sherwood Forest that according to legend sheltered the outlaw Robin Hood appears to have died, the conservation charity that cares for it said yesterday.

The tree, known as the Major Oak, is one of Britain’s largest oaks, measuring 11 metres around its trunk, and is believed to be around 1,200 years old.

This year, the tree failed to produce leaves and “is believed by experts to have died”, said the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which oversees the nature reserve in Nottinghamshire.

The “tree’s failure to produce leaves this year is heart-breaking for everyone,” said Hollie Drake, the senior site manager at Sherwood Forest.

The RSPB said the tree had been in “visible decline” recently, linking this to factors including pollution and record periods of drought over the last five years.

The huge, gnarled tree has been propped up by multiple supports over the years and had some of its holes filled with concrete.

Acorns and cuttings from the original tree have been used to grow new saplings that have been planted around the world, the charity said.

Sherwood Forest is home to one of the largest collections of ancient and veteran oaks in Western Europe.

It is here that heroic outlaw Robin Hood, accompanied by Maid Marian and his band of Merry Men, is said to have robbed the rich and given to the poor.

According to English folklore, he outwitted his nemesis the Sheriff of Nottingham by hiding in the Major Oak. — AFP