06/18/2026
Sad news indeed.
Terrible news today. We are deeply saddened to report that the icon of Sherwood Forest and beloved part of many if not most of our childhoods. The Major Oak is dead.
Conservationists worked to protect the tree, which attracted millions of visitors over its life, but in recent years the natural giant was in decline. It was plain to see.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) - the conservation charity which manages the nature reserve part of the historic forest - said the tree's first spring with no leaves this year, scientific experts believed the Major Oak had died.
While it was difficult to determine the exact cause of the oak's demise, the RSPB said a combination of issues - including years of "well-intentioned structural intervention and huge amounts of human activity" around the tree - were thought to be "major contributors".
