1770

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

1615

rounding country. Near Newee gate, in the same park, stands the Roan Oak,the branches of which are almost all partially decayed, and distorted and twistedinto the most fantastic forms. One of these resembles a writhing serpent,and another forms no bad representation of a lion cowering, and just ready tospring on his prey. The trunk of this tree is 26 ft. 3 in. in circumference.The Magii Oak, which is supposed by the country people to be haunted byevil spirits, has a hollow open trunk, and is nearly 30 ft. in circumference.Another, situated in a ravine, called the Gutter Oak, is also hollow, and has atrunk nearly 40 ft. in circumference. (See Gard. Mag., vol. xii. p. 312.)

Suffolk . The Huntingfield Oak. The following account of Queen Eliza-beth’s Oak {fig. 1615.) is copied from A Topographical and Historical De-scription of Suffolk, published in 1829 : — “ Huntingfield. An oak in the park,which Queen Elizabeth was particularly pleased with,afterwards bore the appellation of the Queen’s Oak.

It stood about two bow-shots from the old romantichall; and, at the height of nearly 7 ft. from the ground,measured more than 11 yards in circumference; and 1this venerable monarch of the forest, according to allappearance, could not be less than 500 or 600 yearsold. Queen Elizabeth, it is said, from this favouritetree shot a buck with her own hand. According to the representation of itsappearance in Davy’s -Letters , the principal arm, ‘ now dry with bald antiquity,’shot up to a great height above the leafage; and, being hollow and truncatedat the top, with several cracks resembling loopholes, through which the lightshone into its cavity, it gave an idea of the winding staircase in a lofty Gothictower, which, detached from the ruins of some venerable pile, hung totteringto its fall.” Mr. Turner, curator of the Botanic Garden, Bury St. Ed-mund’s,-who sent us the above extract, has also obtained for us the followingstatement of the present appearance of this venerable tree from his friendMr. D. Barker, florist, Heveningham Hall: — “It is decidedly Q. peduncu-lata; and, according to a historical account in my possession, it is now be-tween 1000 and 1100 years old. At this time (November, 1836), some partsof the tree are in great vigour, having healthy arms 10 ft. in circumference,and one even larger. The boughs cover a space of 78 yards ; but the trunkhas long since gone to decay, it being now quite hollow in the interior.The circumference of the trunk is 42 ft. at 5 ft. from the ground; and theheight 75 ft.” The great hall of the mansion, within “ two bow-shots ofwhich this oak grew, according to Davy’s Letters, was remarkable for being“ built round six straight massy oaks, which originally supported the roof asthey grew. Upon these the foresters and yeomen of the guard used to hangtheir nets, crossbows, hunting-poles, great saddles, calivers, bills, Sec. Theroots had been long decayed,” continues Davy, writing in 1772, “ when I vi-sited this romantic dwelling; and the shafts, sawn off at the bottom, weresupported either by irregular logs of wood, or by masonry.” {Letters, &c.,i. p. 240.) No trace of this old hall is now remaining, the ruins having beentaken down about the end of the last century.

Surrey . The Grindstone Oak, near Farnham, was once an enormous tree.Its circumference, near the ground, is still 48 ft.; and at 3 ft. high, 33 ft. It ls >however, fast waning to decay. {Amcen. Quer.')

Sussex. The venerable oak at Northiam,famed for its size, and for having given shelter toQueen Elizabeth, who once breakfasted under itsextensive branches, on her way through the villageto London , was partially blown down in a stormin 1816. {Gent. Mag., Suppl., 1816, p. 619.)

Warwickshire . The Bull Oak, in Wedge-nock Park {fig. 1616.), is a remarkable spe-cimen of an oak of this kind. It measures atlft. above the ground 40 ft., and 6 ft. from the 1616