A newly upgraded and accessible trail is now open at the site of the Knightwood Oak, one of the New Forest’s oldest and most magnificent trees.
The Knightwood Oak is the largest oak tree in the New Forest with a girth of 7.4 metres and one of the oldest at over 500 years of age. Given the title “Queen of the Forest” it first became well known in Victorian times and has featured on maps ever since.
The beauty spot has been upgraded with accessibility in mind. Forestry England’s team has resurfaced the car park and previous trail to ensure a flat and even surface suitable for mobility vehicles and pushchairs. Two fully accessible parking spaces are available in the car park and new picnic benches have been placed on the trail.
The team has also been working around the boundary of this very special tree removing overgrown and encroaching vegetation and adding new signage and information explaining the history of this mighty tree.
The work was funded by the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) through a £50,000 grant from Defra’s Access for All fund as part of the NPA’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the National Park is accessible to all.
Richard Burke, Recreation Manager for Forestry England, said:
“The Knightwood Oak is one the New Forest’s most famous and much-loved trees. This additional funding has allowed us to ensure that everyone can access this special place and learn more about the history of the Forest. We are grateful to the New Forest National Park Authority for its financial support and commitment on this project.”
Adam Vasey, Lead Access and Volunteering Officer at the New Forest National Park Authority said:
“It’s been fantastic to work in partnership with Forestry England to deliver huge accessibility improvements along this much used and much-loved trail. The DEFRA Access For All funds made our plans a reality and we look forward to working with more landowners and achieving more great improvements for public access.”
