The Oaks of Avalon is the collective name given to a pair of ancient

oak 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 ''L ...

trees, Gog and Magog, that stand in

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities and ...

. The trees were named after the ancient apocalyptic figures

Gog and Magog Gog and Magog (; he, גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג, ''Gōg ū-Māgōg'') appear in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran as individuals, tribes, or lands. In Ezekiel 38, Gog is an individual and Magog is his land; in Genesis 10, Magog is a man and epo ...

.Glastonbury Pilgrim Reception Centre
Gog & Magog - Glastonbury Pilgrim Reception Centre
accessdate: April 28, 2017 The trees are believed to have been originally part of a ceremonial avenue towards the Glastonbury Tor, the avenue was cut down in 1906 to make way for a farm, with the timber being sold to J. Snow & Son, a local timber merchant. At the time of the 1906 felling of the avenue one of the oak trees was measured at 11ft in diameter and had more than 2000 season

growth rings Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

.The Guardian
Ancient Glastonbury oak tree known as Gog damaged in fire , UK news , The Guardian
accessdate: April 28, 2017 A historically based belief has Joseph of Arimathea following the row of trees towards the tor upon his arrival in

Albion Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...

. In April 2017, though already dead, Gog was badly damaged by fire from a

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candles i ...

. The fire is believed to been accidental, and was put out by

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the county of Devon (including the unitary authorities of Plymouth and Torbay) and the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West Engla ...

.Somerset Live
A 2000-year-old Glastonbury oak tree called Gog has gone up in flames , Somerset Live
accessdate: April 28, 2017Somerset Live

accessdate: April 28, 2017

References

{{coords, 51.1508, -2.6857, display=title Druidry Geography of Somerset Glastonbury Individual oak trees Individual trees in England Somerset Levels Tourist attractions in Somerset Gog and Magog