The Big Belly Oak (also known as The Big Bellied Oak) is an ancient
oak tree in the
Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, England. The Big Belly Oak is the oldest oak in the Savernake Forest; it was planted around the year 1000, making it approximately 1,000 years old.
It would have been a young tree at around the time that
William the Conqueror defeated
King Harold in 1066.
As part of
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
’s
Golden Jubilee
A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
celebrations in 2002, the Big Belly Oak was named as one of 50
Great British Trees
The Great British Trees were 50 trees selected by The Tree Council in 2002 to spotlight trees in the United Kingdom in honour of the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
England
Western England
* Tortworth Chestnut in Tortworth, Gloucestershire
* Wes ...
, a collection of significant trees in the United Kingdom.
The Big Belly Oak is a
sessile oak tree (''
Quercus petraea''). It is enormously fat, with a maximum girth of 11.18 metres at a height of 1.20m.
Its estimated volume is 40m³.
The oak has a large cavity in its centre, likely an effect of
pollarding. In 2014, the Big Belly Oak was shortlisted for
Tree of the Year in the annual competition held by the
Woodland Trust.
The Big Belly Oak grows by the side of the
A346 road between
Marlborough and
Burbage.
It is one of many ancient oak trees in the Savernake Forest, including the New Queen Oak, the Queen Oak, the Saddle Oak 1, the Spider Oak; the Cathedral Oak, and the King of Limbs.
References
{{reflist
Individual trees in England
Tourist attractions in Wiltshire
Individual oak trees