(Web Desk) – The Major Oak, one of Britain’s oldest, largest and most famous trees, has been declared dead after standing for at least a millennium in Sherwood Forest, according to conservation experts._x000D_
_x000D_
The legendary oak tree, located in Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest, is believed to be around 1,000 years old and has long been one of the United Kingdom’s most celebrated natural landmarks._x000D_
_x000D_
According to reports, years of increasingly hot and dry summers placed the tree under severe stress. Experts confirmed its death after it failed to produce any new leaves this year._x000D_
_x000D_
The Major Oak attracted thousands of visitors annually and was renowned for its enormous size, featuring a trunk measuring about 11 metres in circumference and branches spreading nearly 28 metres wide._x000D_
_x000D_
The tree also holds a prominent place in British folklore. Legend has it that the famous outlaw Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men used the hollow oak as a hiding place from the Sheriff of Nottingham._x000D_
_x000D_
Conservation charity Woodland Trust, which named the Major Oak “Tree of the Year†in 2014, said heavy tourist activity may also have contributed to its decline._x000D_
_x000D_
Ed Pine, a senior conservation adviser at the trust, described the tree’s death as a warning about the importance of protecting ancient woodlands and historic trees for future generations._x000D_
_x000D_
Although the tree is no longer alive, officials plan to leave it standing as a historic monument and habitat for wildlife._x000D_
_x000D_
Visitors were once allowed to approach the tree closely and even enter its hollow trunk, but protective fencing was installed around it in the 1970s to limit damage and preserve the landmark.
