Take a stroll through the woods in the UK, and you will most likely see some of Britain’s most beloved trees – the English Oak. These native trees have always been revered in the UK and for thousands of years have enjoyed being one of the most treasured trees we have.
The love for oak trees can be traced way back to the druids who lived here long before the Romans arrived. The oak tree was the most sacred tree, and the word that they used for the oak tree was Duir – which translates as door – this was because it was considered a sacred door to the other worlds.
The oak has remained an important part of British folklore and much of the old folklore still remains, such as this poem often used to predict the weather for the coming summer – Oak before ash then we have a splash, but ash before oak we are in for a soak.
As well as being an important tree of worship, the oak has also had many practical uses throughout history due to its strength – such as building ships and buildings which it is still used for today, like these Oak Framed Garages by Timberpride.
Oak is also extremely important to wildlife. Hundreds of species of insects alone thrive on oak trees and they actually support more living things than any other tree in the UK. Birds such as the woodpeckers feed on the insects and mammals like squirrels and badgers also feed on the acorns.
