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The hollow Major Oak, Sherwood Forest

The best known view of the Major Oak shows its huge hollow trunk, and how to get in. It is said that Robin Hood and his Outlaws hid in here from the Sheriff of Nottingham! The hollow interior is actually several open chambers combined together. Tree Surgeons were brought in to treat the tree by removing decaying branches, cover up gaping holes, replace some of the old chains and straps and give the exposed wood, both inside and outside, a coat of arboricultural paint to prevent further decay. However, a complete eradication of fungi can prove almost impossible and can sometimes be seen on the tree in the Autumn. The oak's great hollow interior is not man-made, it is actually caused by fungi, the most invasive of which is called the "poor man's Beefsteak" (Fistulina hepatica) whose fruiting bodies are sometimes seen growing on the bark of the tree during the Autumn. The Major Oak's enormous interior is also useful for hibernating insects and mammals such as bats, queen wasps, butterflies and a variety of spiders. All make use of the valuable protection and shelter the tree has to offer during the harsh winter weather.