Capon Oak Tree
Encyclopedia
The Capon Oak Tree is one of the last surviving trees of the ancient Jedforest
, close to Jedwater, the small river which has cut a dramatic course below soft sandstone
cliffs.
It is located 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Jedburgh
, Scotland
, west of the A68
.
Nowadays the Capon Tree is held together with concrete
, brick
s and timber beams supporting its trunk
and branches due to a massive split down the middle of the trunk. Despite its delicate nature it still continues to grow.
It has been the subject of some unusual artwork, including a construction which appeared for a while in its branches - an installation sculpture. Parking to view the tree is difficult, and you can't stop on the road passing it. Access is permitted although the land is private, since Scottish land law reforms now permit such access without the need for any right of way or express permission.
Trees are being replanted in the Borders to establish a renewal of the ancient 'Caledon Wood', or great northern forest, which included Ettrick Forest
and Jedforest
. The Borders Forest Trust maintains community woodlands and encourages the use of naturally harvested timber from woodland thinning or removal of trees at the end of their cycle. The Woodschool teaches apprentices to make top quality furniture from the ancient hardwoods, instead of seeing them cut up for firewood or to make garden woodchippings. Eoin Cox, a former partner in the Jedburgh Press small printing works, was awarded an MBE
for his initiative in setting this up and encouraging the reforestation and improvement woodland management of the Borders region.
Jedforest
Jedforest is an historic forest in the Scottish Borders, that has been heavily wooded in the past.The forest is home to the widespreading Capon tree. It is an oak known as "King of the Woods" and thought to be in excess of 2,000 years old. It has a girth of 17 feet, measured four feet from the...
, close to Jedwater, the small river which has cut a dramatic course below soft sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
cliffs.
It is located 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Jedburgh
Jedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, west of the A68
A68 road
The A68 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Darlington in England to the A720 in Scotland.From Darlington, the road runs north, bypassing Bishop Auckland, and running through West Auckland, Toft Hill and Tow Law, past Consett and Corbridge...
.
Nowadays the Capon Tree is held together with concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s and timber beams supporting its trunk
Trunk (botany)
In botany, trunk refers to the main wooden axis of a tree that supports the branches and is supported by and directly attached to the roots. The trunk is covered by the bark, which is an important diagnostic feature in tree identification, and which often differs markedly from the bottom of the...
and branches due to a massive split down the middle of the trunk. Despite its delicate nature it still continues to grow.
It has been the subject of some unusual artwork, including a construction which appeared for a while in its branches - an installation sculpture. Parking to view the tree is difficult, and you can't stop on the road passing it. Access is permitted although the land is private, since Scottish land law reforms now permit such access without the need for any right of way or express permission.
Trees are being replanted in the Borders to establish a renewal of the ancient 'Caledon Wood', or great northern forest, which included Ettrick Forest
Ettrick Forest
Ettrick Forest is a former royal forest in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland.It is a large area of moorland, south of Peebles, stretching from Dollar Law to Selkirk.-See also:*James Hogg*Craik Forest*Wauchope Forest...
and Jedforest
Jedforest
Jedforest is an historic forest in the Scottish Borders, that has been heavily wooded in the past.The forest is home to the widespreading Capon tree. It is an oak known as "King of the Woods" and thought to be in excess of 2,000 years old. It has a girth of 17 feet, measured four feet from the...
. The Borders Forest Trust maintains community woodlands and encourages the use of naturally harvested timber from woodland thinning or removal of trees at the end of their cycle. The Woodschool teaches apprentices to make top quality furniture from the ancient hardwoods, instead of seeing them cut up for firewood or to make garden woodchippings. Eoin Cox, a former partner in the Jedburgh Press small printing works, was awarded an MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for his initiative in setting this up and encouraging the reforestation and improvement woodland management of the Borders region.