A pub called King Oak has stood at High Beech, in Epping Forest, Essex, for over 200 years.  It is said that the original oak was planted in memory of King Harold, who died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; alternatively in 1536 King Henry VIII waited here for news of Anne Boleyn’s execution.

The original tree (if it ever existed) has been long gone, but a fine red oak (Quercus rubra), planted to commemorate a visit by Victoria in 1882, dominates the grassy area in front of the pub.

Image: July 2017.