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Following the avenue southwards for a little way, a detour 

 to the right led to the place where the " King Oak " formerly 

 held his court. At the last visit of the Club, in 1868, one arm 

 still remained to this magnificent old tree, measuring from 23ft. 

 to 24ft. in girth, since then this has disappeared, said to have 

 fallen the day after the Duke of Coniiaught lunched beneath it, 

 now 16 or 17 years ago. Palings protect all that remains of its 

 former greatness reduced to a hollow stump, on which a notice 

 board has been fixed warning visitors of the danger of lighting 

 fires in its vicinity. Within a few paces grows the "Queen Oak," 

 venerable but apparently still healthy and as yet uninjured. 

 Many a jubilee year has her Majesty seen, and may she continue 

 to see many more ! Luckily last winter's destructive snow storm 

 seems to have dealt very gently with her, and her branches 

 remain unscathed, though fine oak trees all around have suffered 

 considerably. The destruction caused by that storm is very 

 remarkable amongst the oak trees ; whilst the beech seem to 

 have escaped without a twig broken, the former have huge limbs 

 and branches torn off" in all directions. Successful photographs 

 having been taken of the " King Oak," the members retraced their 

 steps back by the "12 o'clock avenue " to the " eight walks," and 

 by the aid of useful direction posts struck into the " great avenue " 

 of Beeches four miles long. Nothing can excel the beauty of 

 the view down the long vista of tall slim smooth boles, with 

 their graceful over-arching limbs ; the foliage, too, of the beech 

 was just perfect in its spring freshness, and the chequered light 

 added picturesquesness to the undulating character of the 

 ground. Leaving the Forest by the old and now disused Turn- 

 pike gate for the Marlborough Road, a walk of about one mile 

 and a quarter was all that intervened between the Forest and the 

 Ailesbury Arms ; the rich vale of the Kennet spread out in front. 

 Folly Farm, the ancient Cunctio was passed, the "Five Alls" Inn 

 was glanced at and the much needed lunch was fairly earned. 

 A herd of goats picturesquely lying about in the Market Place 



