It had been far too long since our lockdown days of visiting woods under our noses. It was Michael who nudged me to be away from computer screen today Sunday and we got here as a consequence of lockdown. Having dinner for 2 half price at the Huntingfield Arms one evening, sitting outside, two woman eves dropped on our conversation and heard my vague recollection of an old oak near here. They gave us directions for another time.
This was that time. On our way to Ubbestone wood, we could take in the Huntingfield Queen Oak. Walk up the drive way of Huntingfield Hall and turn right along the ha ha designated footpath. The oak standing on its own and protected by iron railings, looks diminutive and not impressive from a distance. All change close too. It’s bark now like cork, with huge fissures with evidence of ancient wound healing scars, and so many stories. The first surprise is the hollow to daylight in the middle, and indeed walking round, the whole of the inside wood has gone, and the tree lives through half of its trunks of it’s cambium layer.
The story goes that Queen Elizabeth once visited the hall and shot a deer from the shelter of this tree. An interesting history which challenges the story is here. Looking to confirm the location I find Nat Bocking has written about it. No date given but the wooden rail has changed to metal, and the tree has diminished since then. Afterwards this from Nat about how the genetics of this oak is potentially that of Staverton Thicks and is of a particular type to East Anglia.
I took a movie of walking around it, here on youtube.
Kaliwood 
