Knightwood Oak
Summary
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NEW FOREST WALKING GUIDES
Knightwood Oak Stroll
An easy, short loop around the largest oak tree in the New Forest.
Directions
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Starting out
Leave the car park behind you and cross the road then follow the waymarker posts to the Knightwood Oak
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The Knightwood Oak
The trail goes all the way to the oak. Look out for the interpretation panels explaining some of the local history
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Heading Back
Retrace your steps back to the car park.
The Knightwood Oak is the largest oak in the New Forest with a girth of 7.4 metres. It believed to be one of the oldest oaks, with age estimates ranging from 450 to 600 years old.
It is still going strong today and is a spectacular example of the ancient art of ‘pollarding’, the traditional way of harvesting wood without killing the tree. Pollarding creates this growth form of a thick base with smaller straight branches rising from the top. It is these straight branches which are harvested, leaving the thick base to regrow.
This living monument became a tree to find in Victorian times acquiring the title “Queen of the Forest”. It has featured on maps since this time and continues to draw visitors to this quiet spot. There is a rumour that Henry VIII visited during one of his hunting expeditions.
Another nearby notable New Forest oak is the Eagle Oak. This is only a mile away and named after a perched sea eagle was shot from its’ branches by an over-zealous keeper in 1810. Other famous oaks include the Moyles Court Oak, which towers over the crossroads at Moyles Court, and the Maiden Oak growing in a small copse North of the Balmer Lawn Hotel.
Trail Overview
| Start/finish | Knightwood Oak car park, SO43 7QB. |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SU 263 062 |
| what3words | what3words.com/handrail.blasted.bearings |
| Ordnance Survey map | Explorer OL 22 New Forest. |
| Distance | 0.4 miles (0.6 km) – Under 1 hour. |
| Local facilities | Knightwood Oak car park one accessible parking bay. |
| Accessibility | The trail is suitable for all users. The path is a fairly smooth gravelled surface and is flat with frequent resting places. |
Knightwood Oak Stroll
