Dancing

After lunch I walked up the Park to pay New Year homage to this ancient oak tree, which surely must be the oldest tree up there by far.  It always reminds me of a baobab tree, whereas C thinks it looks like a pair of dancers gyrating around each other.  Without a person in the photo, it's difficult to gauge the scale of it, but the girth is over 2 metres and when I remember I shall go back and measure its circumference.  

One of its admirers who lives locally believes it is a pollard, and if she's correct it may be a relic from the time when the Park was possibly an enclosed deer park (the evidence is only circumstantial that there was such a thing).  As far as I'm aware there are no other pollards in the park.  But is it a pollard, or at least a single pollard?  Or is it two closely spaced trees that have merged into one as they have both expanded outwards?  Although not obvious in this photo, there does appear to be something of a seam between the two trunks.  Either way, its height and the differential in girth between the main trunk(s) and the three main branches does suggest pollarding. 

I did have the big camera with me, but not the wide angle lens that would have done it more justice, so on this occasion, a phone photo will have to do.

Back at home and the big project, the electricians were back today, joining the plumber who restarted yesterday.  More information to follow in due course.