Wyndham’s Oak

A thousand years is enough time for a tree to gather a lot of history. Wyndham’s Oak, possibly planted to mark the border of Gillingham Forest and now with a girth of almost eleven metres (35½ feet), has been standing near the village of Silton for that long.

It has had its present name for only 350 years. It was called after Hugh Wyndham, who was a judge in London and owned the manor of Silton. He liked to sit and think under the tree while smoking his pipe. Later, it was reputedly used as a gallows for members of the Monmouth Rebellion. More recently, a lost cow was found after spending two days stuck in the hollow trunk.

Nearest post code: SP8 5AE
OS reference: ST784232
What3words: recording.pitch.trumped