The Major Oak, a 1,200-year-old tree in England’s Sherwood Forest linked to the Robin Hood legend, has died. The RSPB confirmed the news in June 2026. This makes it one of the most significant losses in British natural history in recent memory.
Scientists believe the ancient oak has died after it failed to produce any new leaves this spring. British conservation body the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said this in a news release. For a tree that has stood since before the Norman Conquest, that empty canopy hit hard.
The tree has long been linked in local folklore with Robin Hood and his Merry Men. They were said to have sheltered beneath it. Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham in central England, is the traditional hideout of Robin Hood. He was a legendary outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor. He lived in the forest to evade his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham.
So what actually killed it? A few things, and none of them simple.
“The most recent decline has corresponded with five very hot and droughty summers,” said Reg Harris. He is the director of arboriculture at tree surgery firm Urban Forestry, who had been monitoring the tree. He noted this was most notable in July 2022 when the UK experienced record temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. The soil around the tree also became heavily compacted by millions of visitors. This made it harder for rain to penetrate and for the roots to take in nutrients.
Ironically, some of the efforts to save it may have helped bring it down. The RSPB attributed part of the blame to the scaffolding. It had artificially forced the tree to pump water towards its propped-up branches at the expense of its trunk. This happened rather than allowing it to naturally shed branches and begin growing down. That process would be expected for a tree of its age.
Hollie Drake, senior site manager at RSPB Sherwood Forest, called the tree’s failure to produce leaves this year heartbreaking for everyone. But she added: “We know the Major Oak will have a lasting legacy, first and foremost because it is so inextricably linked to Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest.”
It is becoming a natural monument
Drake confirmed the oak “will continue to stand at the heart of Sherwood as a natural monument for visitors to come and see.” She noted it is “living on in the legend of Robin Hood.” It is also “continuing to provide as much support to the forest’s ecosystem in death as in life.” With proper care, the Major Oak could remain standing for “decades, even centuries.” This is according to the RSPB’s estate operations manager Chloe Ryder.
Its legacy isn’t just symbolic, either. Acorns and cuttings from the tree have previously been grown into saplings. These have been planted around the world, including in Winfield House. That is the residence of the US ambassador in London.
Major Oak is the second tree with associations to Robin Hood to die in recent memory. This follows Sycamore Gap, of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves fame, being illegally felled in 2023. Two losses. Two icons. Both gone within a few years of each other.
In a 2002 public survey, the Major Oak was voted Britain’s favourite tree. That vote feels heavier now.
