The World's Most Famous Oak Tree Dies After 1,000 Years

(Digital Itla) The Major Oak tree, counted among Britain's oldest, largest, and most famous trees, has died. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, this magnificent oak tree, located in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, UK, was at least 1,000 years old. The report states that due to continuous hot and dry summers, the tree remained under severe stress, and not a single new leaf sprouted on it this year, after which experts confirmed its death. Every year, thousands of tourists came to see this historic tree. Boasting an 11-meter-wide trunk and branches spreading across 28 meters, this tree held an important place in local folklore and stories for centuries. According to legends, the famous character Robin Hood and his companions used to take shelter in this very tree to escape the oppressive Sheriff of Nottingham. The Woodland Trust, which had declared it the Tree of the Year in 2014, states that the tree also suffered damage from excessive tourist activities. Ed Pyne, the organization's senior conservation advisor, remarked that the decline of this tree is a warning that how we treat ancient trees today will determine their survival in the future.

Although the tree is no longer alive, it will be kept standing as a historical monument for wildlife and the public. In the past, tourists could go very close to the tree and even step inside its hollow trunk; however, a protective fence was installed around it in the 1970s, after which it was only viewed from a distance.