The Queen’s Wood

Some years ago one of our members, John Palmer, heard a radio programme where the very mixed parentage of oaks in Britain was discussed. He decided to collect some acorns from the most ancient oak he knew, The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest and grow some oaks with the most “English” parentage.

 

In 2004 we helped John plant out the saplings in a field of his near Wimborne and these trees are now producing their own acorns and he grew these to produce the 96 oaks – one for each year of the late Queen Elizabeth’s life

In cooperation with the National Trust we arranged to plant these trees as the centerpiece of some planting on the NT Kingston Lacy estate at Shapwick.

As well as our members and National Trust staff and Volunteers a number of guest planters came – the Agent from the Duchy of Cornwall Estate at Poundbury, The SW Regional Forester for the MoD and some teachers (plus Head Girl) from Blandford School.