There are some wonderful ancient oaks in the New Forest, and I recently started to wonder how old they are. There are several guides online on measuring, what they don't tell you is how much fun it is. All you need is a tape measure, preferably one which doesn't reach all the way, so you have to someone to put a marking finger down to mark where to start the second run of the tape. We had a go on our recent Walking Picnic from Abbots Well, with two children in tow. The oldest oak in Pitts Wood is the beauty pictured left, which we calculated is probably about 290 years old (give or take the width of a finger). Christine and I were walking the Anderwood route earlier this week, and did the same exercise with the Eagle Oak, which we reckon is about 380 years old. We hadn't done the Anderwood route for several weeks, and the difference now that the new leaves are covering the trees is amazing. If you have never let a branch of new larch needles brush through your hand, or stroked the softness of new beech leaves, you have still to discover the wonders of Spring in the Forest.
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