‘Instant connection to the past’: how the Major oak affected those who saw it

Readers remember the Sherwood Forest tree that has failed to produce leaves for the first time in 1,000 years

A fter hundreds of years inspiring wonder in Sherwood Forest, the Major oak has died . We asked readers to share their memories of one of the UK’s most recognisable natural landmarks, said to have offered a sanctuary for Robin Hood, and the response was overwhelming, with many sharing heartfelt stories of childhood adventures.

Joanna de Graaf from Leicestershire wrote: “I grew up in Nottingham and we visited Sherwood Forest quite often as a family. I can remember being so excited to actually be inside the Major oak where Robin Hood and his merry men had hidden (and, for a little girl in the 1960s, Maid Marian too).

“I have visited it with my own children and taken friends visiting from around the world to see it. The legend of Robin Hood is so well known. And they all loved to visit the forest but especially the Major oak.”

Rosie Emery, who spent her early childhood at Thoresby Hall, just a short distance from Sherwood Forest, wrote: “I loved it there. I credit my career teaching children how all of life is connected to the hours I spent sitting inside that wonderful tree. I would dream about Robin Hood and Maid Marian.”

Ian, who did not give his surname, recounted a similar experience. “One of my fondest memories as a child was a school visit to see the Major oak,” he wrote. “At that time we were allowed to actually stand inside the tree and I recall being totally amazed by the fact (at least in my infant school mind) that I was looking at exactly the same shapes and curls and knots in the wood that Robin Hood saw when he was hiding from the Sheriff of Nottingham.

“I am surprised just how sad I felt … when learning of the death of one of England’s greatest natural treasures … Dead or not it still stands and, in my mind at least, it stands for a great deal.”

Jens Binder, an associate professor at Nottingham Trent University and a father of three, wrote: “Over the years, we’ve taken friends from Spain, Germany, Portugal, Hong Kong, El Salvador, India, probably more, to the place - no matter the weather or the season. Everyone could instantly feel the significance of this magnificent tree.

“To me, it has always been an instant connection with the past, down the centuries. I take comfort in the thought that Sherwood Forest is still home to more extraordinary oak trees, most of them hidden more safely away in the greenwood.”

Others felt more needed to be done to protect the country’s woodlands. “Very sad to hear about the death of this iconic tree, so much a part of Nottinghamshire history and legend,” wrote Guy Birkin. As the chair of Annesley Archers club, he spent many years getting to know the local trees of Nottingham. “The Major oak was protected by being well-known, but many other trees that are nearly as old aren’t so lucky.

“With evidence that trees support adaptation to increasing temperatures, especially in urban areas, and that being in woodland promotes mental and physical wellbeing, we should take greater care of our arboricultural heritage for the sake of our own and future generations.”

Above all, it is evident that affection for the tree that sparked imagination and curiosity for generations will far surpass its lifespan.

“I have loved this tree since I was a child”, wrote Pat Hutton from Stroud in Gloucestershire. “Visiting Granpop, who lived in Worksop, from our home in Cleethorpes, we would always find time to go to Sherwood Forest and visit the Major oak. My imagination in full flow, I could see Robin Hood and his merry men hiding there, (Richard Greene, from the television programmes of the time). Sadly, I haven’t seen it for many years, but it lived in my memory, and will live on there.”