The Osterley Park Cork Oak

A Mediterranean oak has stood beside a lake in west London since, by the account everyone repeats, 1855. Cork oaks belong to Portugal and Spain, where their thick, spongy bark is stripped for bottle stoppers. This one has kept its bark, and its leaves too: the species is evergreen, and the London Trees blog photographed it in full leaf in winter. The Grafting Gardeners guide to London's greatest trees calls it one of the oldest and largest cork oaks in the country, and it was chosen as one of the Great Trees of London. The date needs a caveat. The blog, the guide and the Great Trees list all give 1855, but they may be repeating one another rather than three separate records, so it is a date the tree is said to carry. If it holds, the oak is about 170 years old. Nobody has published its height or girth; if you have measured it, tell us. It stands on the north side of the lake, directly south of Osterley House. The pin is approximate, so walk down to the lakeshore below the mansion and look for the ridged, corky bark that gives the species its name. The parkland belongs to the National Trust and is free on foot daily. Art Fund gives about 9am to 5pm, but listings disagree, so check the National Trust first. Osterley station on the Piccadilly line is roughly 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the park gate.