Among the oldest and largest of Windsor Great Park’s ancient oaks, the Signing Oak was named in 1972 because it was the venue for the signing of a Statement of Intent between the Crown Estate Commissioners and the Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England) that recognised the importance of Windsor Great Park as a special conservation area.
Among the oldest and largest of Windsor Great Park’s ancient oaks, the Signing Oak was named in 1972 because it was the venue for the signing of a Statement of Intent between the Crown Estate Commissioners and the Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England) that recognised the importance of Windsor Great Park as a special conservation area.
The name ‘Signing Oak’ came about because it was under this tree a Statement of Intent was signed by the Crown Estate Commissioners and the Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England) in 1972 that recognised the importance of Windsor Great Park as a special conservation area. The agreement outlined a protocol in relation to the management of the Park and the consultation process with the NCC that remained in place up until 2000 when the whole of the Park was designated a SSSI and an SAC which are legal designations with much more bite than the Statement if Intent which was more like a ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’.
Information from Bill Cathcart, Superintendent of Windsor Great Park (by email).
I saw a lot of oaks during my visit here, including King Offa's oak, but this in my eyes was the biggest of them all, but not the oldest. Believed to be 900-1100 years old
Our research into the probable ages of ancient oaks gives maximum age estimates of 800 years for >10m oaks and this oak is <10m girth.
The name ‘Signing Oak’ came about because it was under this tree a Statement of Intent was signed by the Crown Estate Commissioners and the Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England) in 1972 that recognised the importance of Windsor Great Park as a special conservation area. The agreement outlined a protocol in relation to the management of the Park and the consultation process with the NCC that remained in place up until 2000 when the whole of the Park was designated a SSSI and an SAC which are legal designations with much more bite than the Statement if Intent which was more like a ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’. Information from Bill Cathcart, Superintendent of Windsor Great Park (by email).
I saw a lot of oaks during my visit here, including King Offa's oak, but this in my eyes was the biggest of them all, but not the oldest. Believed to be 900-1100 years old
Our research into the probable ages of ancient oaks gives maximum age estimates of 800 years for >10m oaks and this oak is <10m girth.