Major Oak, legendary Robin Hood hideout in Sherwood Forest, dies after 1,200 years

A 1,200-year-old giant falls silent

The Major Oak, one of the largest and oldest oaks in the United Kingdom, has died. For the first time in its recorded history, the tree produced no leaves this spring, a sign that experts at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) say confirms its biological death. The oak stood in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, with a crown spanning about 28 metres and a trunk circumference that exceeded 11 metres. It attracted some 350,000 visitors each year, drawn by its sheer size and its legendary connection to Robin Hood.

Tourist pressure and structural meddling

The tree's decline was not from old age alone. Soil around its roots became heavily compacted after decades of tourist footfall, reducing the ground's ability to absorb rainwater and nutrients. Since at least 1904, well-meaning interventions also took their toll: metal props propped up heavy branches, concrete filled cavities at the base, and lead and fibreglass plates covered wounds. In 1970, a fence was erected to keep visitors from climbing into the hollow trunk. Later surveys showed the soil was poorer and denser than previously understood, and the root system smaller and weaker.

Climate heatwaves take final toll

A series of hot, dry summers accelerated the tree's decline. The UK's 2022 heatwave, when temperatures hit a record 40 degrees Celsius, was especially damaging. RSPB experts note that heat stress and drought impaired the oak's ability to regenerate. Even after recent efforts to irrigate and aerate the ground, the damage was too advanced. A spokesperson said: "There were some encouraging signs after conservation measures, but it seems deterioration was already too far gone to reverse."

A legendary hideout

The Major Oak's fame rests on its link to the Robin Hood legend, which says the outlaw and his band used the tree's hollow trunk as a hideout from the Sheriff of Nottingham. The hollow was caused by a fungus, a common feature in ancient oaks. The tree was given its enduring name after Major Hayman Rook, a former British army soldier who lived near the forest, mentioned it in a 1790 book; that publication sparked the first wave of tourism to Sherwood.

Tributes and calls for protection

Dame Judi Dench, patron and ambassador of the Woodland Trust, paid tribute.

“The Major Oak has been an inspiration for more than 1,000 years for countless stories, poems, paintings and people, while itself teeming with life and home to a huge variety of wildlife.”

She revealed she had recently planted a sapling from the Sherwood tree in her own garden with the Trust's chief executive Darren Moorcroft. She urged everyone who felt inspired by ancient trees to write to their MP and seek stronger legal protection for them.

The death comes less than three years after another so-called Robin Hood tree, the Sycamore Gap Tree by Hadrian's Wall, was felled by vandals in September 2023. The perpetrators, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, were sentenced to more than four years in prison. The National Trust planted 49 saplings from that tree across all 15 UK national parks.

The tree will remain as a monument

The RSPB confirmed the Major Oak will be left standing. Dead wood provides rich habitat for insects, fungi and birds, and the oak will serve as a natural monument. Saplings from the tree have been planted worldwide. Lessons drawn from the rescue attempts, the charity said, should guide the care of other ancient trees.