Recreating Wychwood

The BBC News website has an interesting article about a project by the Blenheim

Estate to create a series of woods with native English species as well as conifers ( as a long term cash crop to make the project economically viable ) to the north of the main parklands at Blenheim Palace outside Woodstock. 

The scheme is being funded by a Government grant attempt to see if this model is sustainable and if so as an exemplar of future woodland developments 

Woodstock as name implies has a long connection to a woodland economy. It had a royal hunting park and palace from at least the time of King Henry I, long before being given to the Churchills by Queen Anne. Adjacent to the park was the wider hunting ground and game preserve of Wychwood Forest.

The acorns from which the new oaks spring are ones from a tree that has witnessed all these comings and goings as it is believed to be 1,046 years old - so it began its life as a tree in the reign of King Edward the Martyr, and presumably as an acorn in the reign of King Edgar.

The BBC article can be read at 1,000-year-old oaks used to create 'super forest'

If a thousand year old tree seems impressive then it is worth looking at a short film that is linked to in the article. This is about some of the ancient yew trees of Wales, one of which at least is thought to be 5,000 years old …

The film can be seen at Trees as old as the pyramids 'should be revered'