1770 ARBORKTUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III. 



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 twisted 

 into the most fantastic forms. One of these resembles a writhing serpent, 

 and another forms no bad representation of a lion cowering, and just ready to 

 spring on his prey. The trunk of this tree is 26ft. Sin. in circumference. 

 The Magii Oak, which is supposed by the country people to be haunted by 

 evil 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 a 

 trunk nearly 40ft. 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 romantic 

 hall ; and, at the height of nearly 7 ft. from the ground, 

 measured more than 11 yards in circumference; and 

 this venerable monarch of the forest, according to all 

 appearance, could not be less than 500 or 600 years 

 old. Queen Elizabeth, it is said, from this favourite 1615 



tree shot a buck with her own hand. According to the representation of its 

 appearance 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 truncated 

 at the top, with several cracks resembling loopholes, through which the light 

 shone into its cavity, it gave an idea of the winding staircase in a lofty Gothic 

 tower, which, detached from the ruins of some venerable pile, hung tottering 

 to 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 following 

 statement of the present appearance of this venerable tree from his friend 

 Mr. 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 1 100 years old. At this time (November, 1836), some parts 

 of the tree are in great vigour, having healthy arms 10ft, in circumference, 

 and one even larger. The boughs cover a space of 78 yards ; but the trunk 

 has 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 the 

 height 75 ft." The great hall of the mansion, within " two bow-shots " of 

 which this oak grew, according to Davy's Letters, was remarkable for being 

 " built round six straight massy oaks, which originally supported the roof as 

 they grew. Upon these the foresters and yeomen of the guard used to hang 

 their nets, crossbows, hunting-poles, great saddles, calivers, bills, &c. The 

 roots had been long decayed," continues Davy, writing in 1772, " when I vi- 

 sited this romantic dwelling ; and the shafts, sawn off at the bottom, were 

 supported 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 been 

 taken 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 is, 

 however, fast waning to decay. (Amcen. Quer.) 



Sussex. The venerable oak at Northiam, 

 famed for its size, and for having given shelter to 

 Queen Elizabeth, who once breakfasted under its 

 extensive branches, on her way through the village 

 to London, was partially blown down in a storm 

 in 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 at 

 1 ft. above the ground 40ft., and 6ft. from the 1616 



