English oak

(Quercus robur) Like a fine view or a blackbird in full song, the sight of a veteran oak can often be the highlight of a walk. Over many hundreds of years their strong branches can grow as far outwards as they do upwards to create a magnificent bulky beast whose trunk is severely gnarled and twisted. What’s more, the oak supports more life than any other native tree.

KEY FEATURES: Leaves have deep lobes, and acorns start growing when the tree is around 40.

WHERE TO SEE IT: Birklands in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, has on site one of the highest concentrations of ancient oaks in Europe. Visitors to the New Forest should look out for the Knightwood Oak – a splendid ancient tree with a girth of 7.4m.