Bowthorpe Oak in Manthorpe near

Bourne, Lincolnshire Bourne is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the eastern slopes of the limestone Kesteven Uplands and the western edge of the Fens, 11 miles (18 km) north-east of Stamford, 12 mi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

is perhaps England's oldest

oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...

with an estimated age of over 1,000 years. The tree has a circumference of about and has a hollow

trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...

. The tree can be found on Bowthorpe Park Farm. 'Bowthorpe' was the name of a

deserted medieval village In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the conv ...

. The farm offers pre-booked private tours of the tree. The hollow interior of the trunk had been fitted with seats and has apparently been used as a dining room for 20 people in the past. The tree has now been fenced to protect the roots from soil compaction. The oak was selected 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 ...

picked by The Tree Council in 2002 to spotlight trees in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

in honour of the

Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years a ...

. The Bowthorpe Oak is featured in '' The Guinness Book of Records'' and was filmed for a short TV documentary about its size. It also appeared in the 2017 documentary ''Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor'', hosted by George McGavin about the life of oak trees. It was a filming location for the 2011 film ''Hollow'', directed by Michael Axelgaard.

References

External links

{{commonscat, Bowthorpe Oak
Bowthorpe Park Farm

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110205092304/http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/discoveries/newdiscoveries/2007/bowthorpeoak.htm Woodland Trust notes">Woodland Trust">ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110205092304/http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/discoveries/newdiscoveries/2007/bowthorpeoak.htm Woodland Trust notes Individual oak trees Environment of Lincolnshire History of Lincolnshire South Kesteven District Individual trees in England

See also

References

External links