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Idehurst Oak loses a limb

18 November 2011 | Posted in Nature Reserves

Author Graeme Lyons

Idehurst Oak / Graeme Lyons

You know a tree is going to be impressive when it has a name. This is the Idehurst Oak at The Mens

and it's one of the biggest we have on our nature reserves. I have seen some pretty interesting things on and from this tree including the rare Lymexylon navale and even a polecat in broad daylight.

Last week we were told by a tree surgeon that the impossibly huge limb on this tree had a huge crack in it. We went to check it out yesterday but it had already come down. I was quite glad really that we didn't have to do any work on it. It has fallen in such a way that it has taken out a number of other trees, mostly Holly and Beech. It has created its own rather large canopy gap and also exposed the trunk to direct sunlight. I will be going back over the next few years to look for saproxylic beetles and fungi.

Idehurst Oak / Graeme Lyons

Idehurst Oak / Graeme Lyons

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Comments

  • tree surgeon sussex:

    29 Nov 2011 14:57:56

    Beautiful pictures, instils the power & force behind the tree

  • Alan T:

    31 Jul 2014 20:20:58

    Hi,
    I went to see the Idehurst Oak today but regret to say that I couldn’t find it, though there was a clearing with a large fallen beech which had been worked on. Presumably most of the oak is still there somewhere. Does anyone have an accurate grid reference?

    Thanks

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