Knightwood Oak Stroll
Starting from Knightwood Oak car park, this walk visits the most iconic oak in the Forest
The Knightwood Oak is the most famous oak tree in the New Forest, and one of the largest. It’s thought to be more than 500 years old, has a girth of 7.38 metres – and is still growing! It was pollarded when it was about 200 years old and is thought to have been last pollarded about 150 years ago. It is also protected by a traditional cleft oak fence – once all New Forest fences would have been made this way. During this walk you can see an example of ‘inosculation’ which is when the branches of two adjacent trees unite. Forestry England have pollarded some of the young oaks around the Knightwood Oak, and planted out a number of saplings from the Knightwood Oak itself.
Overview
- Start/finish: Knightwood Oak car park, grid ref SU 263 062, SO43 7QB.
- Ordnance Survey map: Explorer OL 22 New Forest
- Getting there: No public transport links, parking at Knightwood Oak car park.
- Distance: 0.4 miles (0.6 km)
- Duration: Under 1 hour
- Local facilities: Knightwood Oak car park has room for up to 15 cars with one accessible parking bay.
- Accessibility: The trail is suitable for all users. The path is a fairly smooth gravelled surface and is flat with frequent resting places.
Directions
1. Starting out
Leave the car park behind you and cross the road then follow the waymarker posts to the knightwood oak.
2. The knightwood Oak
The trail goes all the way the oak. Look out for the interpretation panels explaining some of the local history.
3. Heading Back
Retrace your steps back to the car park.
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New Forest code
Please be aware of the New Forest code when walking in the National Park.
