For Marley farley

Thought you might like this tree in the West Dean college grounds

 

Oh my! What kind of tree is it? And how old?

Puts me in the mind of the Robin Hood tree in Sherwood Forest, the Great Oak. Reputedly 800 years old.

 

Somewhere there is a picture of me as a kid sat in this tree . In the days when you were allowed to - before it was all roped off! (ahh! memories)

 

Its an oak, probably a bit older than Marley.

http://www.westdean.org.uk/

Don't know how old the estate is, as the house is a relative new build, built for the illegitamate son of a certain king of early last century. He did us well though, providing a college for the study of the arts and conservation.

There are loads of mature trees in the grounds, its always a pleasure to go there. Not open to the public though.

The weald and downland museum is a few miles up the road,that is open to the public & always worth a visit.
http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

As featured in Sky 1 s the tenth kingdom

 

Cool, daughter #1 is at uni in Bristol, will see if I can check it out.

Bet that robin hoods oak is more than 800.

The timber in our house (an ex WW I army hut) although pine, takes ages to cut through & is very heavy. I'm guessing that the pines were 100 years old + when they were felled. Can't get pine like that from B&Q.

 

Of course, as Robin Hood was alive circa 12th Century, the Major oak would've been nothing but a sapling, and certainly not big enough for he and his men to hide in! :wink:

 

Hi Harmony,

Thats what I was thinking, probably one legend pasted onto another. At the time there would have been a whole forest of mature trees until the tudors came along with their massive ship building program.

Britain has the best survival population of ancient trees in the whole of europe, we need to keep it that way.

 

Hey JWK,

Its out the front beyond the HaHa so mind how you go

How was the chilli fest ? Never made one of those. Used to love walking to classes thru the walled garden, especially in the autumn, when the fruit store was full of a display of all the apple varieties.

 

Cheers for the nod Marley.

Made me feel guilty now John, we get to see the grounds & gardens when theres no one about. Was once telling a class that psilocybin doesn't grow on chalk, then had to admit defeat when I found a clump on the main lawn there.

In the bar that night, I was asked by the professor to tell the group what it was like to "see the pixey"

 

Just seen this thread Ziggy. I love that part of West Sussex - when we win the lottery I've decided we're moving there! Where you at the college...and did you go check out the Weald and Downland Museum while you were there?