Knightwood Oak map

The Knightwood Oak is thought to be about 600 years old; it is the biggest oak in the New Forest with a girth of 25 feet.
The shape indicates that the top of the tree was cut in its early days; known as pollarding this is the traditional way to harvest timber without killing the tree. Pollarding was made illegal (in the New Forest) in 1698 because it spoilt the shape of the trees for shipbuilding.