The simple fact that the oak is the national tree of both Wales and England is enough to make it a national institution. But behind the choice lie a multitude of reasons that range through our history and our legends, illustrating our affinity for this most stately tree.
For the Druids the oak was, it seems, a sacred tree, their rituals practised in oak groves; and for the ordinary Celt it is said to have represented a portal to the next world. As a symbol of solidity and longevity special examples of the oak can be found in many places around Britain: perhaps the best known is the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest , linked with the Robin Hood story; but consider also The Royal Oak that sheltered Charles II from Cromwell ’s forces after the Battle of Worcester (a tree whose descendent is still to be seen at Boscobel House ) and provides so many pubs with a name, and eight naval vessels; the Law Day Oak on the edge of Romney Marsh ; or The Queen Elizabeth Oak at Cowdray Park . The power of the oak as a symbol remains today, adopted by both The National Trust and The Conservative Party (now in rather blurry form for the latter).
The oak has played a very practical part in our history too: thus the wooden walls of old England, i.e. the navy, were built from our great oak forests (reducing them enormously in the process especially in Nelson ’s day); and where would Scotland’s whisky industry be without oak barrels old (from Spain and America) and new?
As a national symbol the oak provides a neat shorthand for certain aspects of what we perceive as our identity: steadfastness and endurance, and something great arising from the tiny acorns of our islands. Immodest perhaps, but with enough evidence in our history to prevent it being laughable.
More British Institutions
Afternoon Tea
Allotments
April Fools Day
Big Ben
Binge Drinking
Black Cabs
Bonfire Night
British Sense of Humour
Brown Windsor Soup
Burns Night
Cadburys
Castles
Changing the Guard
City of London
Coronation Street
Cowes Week
Cricket
Crufts
Dad’s Army
E-Type Jag
Eccentricity
English Country Garden
Fish and Chips
Fish Fingers
Fox Hunting
Full English Breakfast
Gin and Tonic
Glastonbury
Glorious Goodwood
Grand National
Grouse Shooting
Harrods
Highland Games
Hogmanay
James Bond
John Bull
King Arthur
Land Rover
Lloyds of London
London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
Marks and Spencer
Monty Python
Morecambe and Wise
Old School Tie
Oxbridge
Panto
Picnics
Pimms
Point-to-Point
Punch and Judy
Queueing
Real Ale
Red Arrows
Red Telephone Boxes
Remembrance Poppies
Robin Hood
Rolls Royce
Royal Ascot
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Savile Row Suits
School Discos
School Sports Day
Seaside Piers
Speakers’ Corner
Stag Nights
Stiff Upper Lip
Strawberries and Cream
Street Markets
Summer Festivals
Sunday Roasts
The Archers
The BBC
The Beano
The Boat Race
The Brass Band
The British Bobby
The Bulldog
The Church of England
The Cup Final
The Curry House
The English Rose
The Garden Shed
The Honours System
The Kilt
The Last Night at the Proms
The London Bus
The Mini
The National Trust
The NHS
The Oak
The Pub
The Queen’s Speech
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Christmas Message
The Spitfire
The V Sign
The Village Fete
The Weather
Travelling Fairs
Trooping the Colour
Village Greens
Wedgwood
Wellington Boots
Wimbledon
Wine Gums
Yeomen of the Guard
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