Bowthorpe Farm's ancient oak

Today was an inset day at little Miss B's school, so her mum and I took the children to Bowthorpe Oak Farm at Manthorpe near Bourne. The plan was to visit their 'pumpkin patch' (Grimsthorpe where we went last year being closed). It was overpriced and disappointing, not least as it was only accessible through very thick, churned up mud. That left me standing with the pushchair containing the young master while the 'girls' selected pumpkins. As LMB wanted to carve a family of four, Mrs B paid for two extra pumpkins. Very poor value! The upside was lovely views in every direction with interesting skylines and super clouds. I also caught a glimpse of this tree. Apparently it's the 2nd biggest pedunculate oak in the country! It's also one of the oldest oaks in the country - possibly the oldest (anything up to 1000 years). Its inside is hollow and the trunk's circumference is around 44 feet (13 metres). Its interior has enough space for 20 people to dine around a table, and it's feasible that Joseph Banks might have known this tree. 

If I had known all this before our visit, I might have ventured further for a closer look. (The farm owners charge a fee for this, too.) But little Miss B was very tired and simply wanted to go home and sleep. Her nights are so broken lately. At least it stayed dry for most of the day. At home, the young master tried his hand at furniture removal, too. See Extras. (The sky was bright blue, but the photo of the pumpkin patch was taken looking straight into the sun, hence the white glare - also an Extra!)