Meet the Tree

The OneOak tree had been growing for 222 years on the Blenheim Palace estate in Oxfordshire. We are indebted to His Grace the Duke of Marlborough and Blenheim Palace, who very generously donated the tree to the OneOak project.

OneOak history

We initially believed, based on Blenheim Palace estate archives, that the tree was planted in Victorian times in the 1850s. After the felling a dendrochronologist completed a detailed study of tree rings and discovered that it was 222 years old. It is also thought it was not planted but that it grew naturally from an acorn in 1788.

A new generation

The OneOak tree had grown for 222 years. It is one of many oaks in the plantation, many of which have been cut down in the past. One of the important aspects of sustainable forestry is replacing the trees that are harvested for their timber. With school children we collected oak seeds (acorns) from the Blenheim estate to grow the next generation of oak trees. Two hundred and fifty seedlings were planted at the OneOak site by the children in January 2011. read more...