Ancient Oak

One of the very old oak trees in Bradgate Park silhouetted against a stormy winter sky.

Bradgate park in Leicestershire was gifted to the people of the county for their recreation and enjoyment but has been a deer park for around 800 years.. It has some of the oldest rocks in Europe (560 million years old ,volcanic of the Charnwood series), herds of deer, a ruined fortified house (the oldest brick built building in the UK) and home of the 9 day Queen Lady Jane Grey and very strange looking Oaks many of which are over 500 years old. Legend has it that the foresters of the park beheaded the oaks in respect of the former mistress Lady Jane Grey when she was beheaded. what you se today are huge trunks mostly hollowed out with age but still with younger growth above. I remember using these a hiding places as a child when I lived in the village close to the park. This particular tree made a good mono study silhouetted against the stormy sky.