Major Oak, Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. This giant tree, with a waistline of 35 ft, a height of 52 feet and weighing an estimated 23 tons, has been here for about 800-1000 years. The exact age of this magnificent tree can only be estimated. Its huge size is a clue, and yet at the same time as some oaks grow faster than others, the enormous trunk conceals the real answer. Height=16 metres, average diameter=337 cms, measured by Alan F.Mitchell in 1990, species robur. Its large canopy, the leaves and branches, with a spread of 92 ft points to it being a tree that has grown up with little or no competition from oaks nearby. This has allowed the large branches and network of leaves to spread out. Its huge trunks forming as the tree demands food, water and structured support which increased during its continued growth, as it still does today. 固opFoto / Fortean