Why Bear Grylls and Tom King love this ‘supermodel’ tree

By Tom King

THIS country is full of historic trees, ancient enough to qualify for a free bus pass ten times over or more, which may be why so many other bus-pass holders complain that they can never get a seat.

Out of all these Methuselahs it is an Essex tree that is now the shining star of the big plant firmament.

The Gilwell Oak has been voted UK Tree of the Year 2017. It has now moved on (figuratively speaking, of course) to represent the nation at the European Tree of the Year awards. The UK has yet to field a winner in these annual Oscars of the tree world, but the Gilwell Oak is a big hitter.

The champ can be can be found at the western edge of Epping Forest, on the high ridge above the River Lea Valley. While magnificent, it is far from exceptional for this part of the world. Epping Forest abounds with more ancient and beautiful trees than it is really fair for one little forest to possess, when there are other forests which don't have any such trees at all.

No, what sets the Gilwell Oak apart is its resonance. Resonance might sound like an odd word to use about a tree, but it is the criterion chosen by the Woodland Trust. The trust is the organisation which came up with the notion of a Tree of the Year contest, designed to “give recognition” to “our country's remarkable trees”.

Its spokesman, Dee Smith, explains that the contest “doesn't focus on the size, age or aesthetics of a tree, instead it focuses on the resonance it has with people – how they hold it in their hearts, the story behind it, and the connection it has to a wider community.”

The Gilwell Oak has been sitting anonymously, and quite un-resonantly, at the edge of the forest for between 200 and 300 years. Nobody seems quite sure of its age. Oaks can be deceptive, sometimes looking much older than their actual age, sometimes much younger. To cut down the Gilwell Oak, in order to count the rings, would rather defeat the object of such an exercise. We do know, however, the exact date at which this tree became a special tree.

In the 18th century, as wealthy landowners began to annexe slices of Epping Forest for building, the tree was enclosed in a 52 acre private property, Gilwell Park. Fortunately, the original owners, the Skrimshires, were tree-lovers. They planted many specimens of their own, and they also retained the Gilwell Oak as part of the landscaping. The wild forest tree become domesticated.

Like so many estates, Gilwell fell onto hard times during the First World War, but a splendid new destiny awaited the property, along with its fine trees. In early 1919, it was bought by the Scouting movement. The 52 acres of parkland were perfect as an outdoor camping and training centre for London, where, by now, there were tens of thousands of scouts and guides, but nowhere for them to romp.

I was raised on a legend about Gilwell Park. According to this narrative, Lord Baden Powell unleashed a team of his best scouts into Epping Forest, with a brief to track down a suitable property. It took them no time at all to unearth Gilwell Park.

The facts are more prosaic. The Scouting movement just went to an estate agent like everyone else. What followed, however, is hard fact, and it is the point when the Gilwell Oak moves from being just a bit part player in the forest, to become a star and symbol of the Scouting movement.

On Maundy Thursday, April 17 1919, a pioneer group of scouts arrived at Gilwell Park to start work on repairing the overgrown grounds and semi-derelict buildings. The English climate blew a loud raspberry at them. Heavy rain meant that they were unable to pitch their tents. They took refuge in the gardener's hut, which sits just a few yards from the Gilwell Oak. For reasons that are not hard to imagine, they dubbed the hut “The Pigsty”. Today, the Pigsty is a lovingly preserved monument.

The Chief Scout visited the site a few days later, and was immediately drawn to the great oak tree. The notion of tiny acorns growing into such vast presences came immediately to mind. There was a clear analogy with Scouting itself, which had begun in a small way, with just a handful of enthusiasts, in 1907, but had then spread like wildfire around the world.

That vision became the inspiration for Gilwell Park's symbol, an axe in an oak log. It also provides the emblem for the Wood Badge, the worldwide qualification for scout leaders. The first wood badges were whittled from branches of the Gilwell Oak.

Bear Grylls, the TV presenter who is also the current World Chief Scout, says: “The Gilwell Oak has been the backdrop to hundreds of courses, during which thousands of volunteer leaders have been inspired and motivated to change young people's lives. It is the outstanding symbol of Scouting's desire to change the world for the better.”

Gilwell Park means that Essex is in some respects the nerve centre of world Scouting. The London headquarters, by comparison, is just another office block. The park can hold accommodate 10,000 scouts and leaders, and does just exactly that at times of international jamborees. In 2007 it provided the focal point for celebrations that marked Scouting's 100th birthday.

Scouts from around the world will be back in force next year when Gilwell Park itself celebrates its centenary. The Gilwell Oak, symbol of so much that Scouting represents, will no doubt act as a living totem pole throughout the celebrations.

There is a good view of the tree from the footpath that borders the park's south and west borders (OS map ref 387964 to 382970). On the way you can also enjoy a wonderful view, with the River Lea below your feet, and much of London spread out beyond.

I went one stage further, and ventured, with the dogs, up to the base of the celebrity tree. Gilwell Park is a pretty open place, though staff did politely inform me that basset hounds were not admitted to Gilwell (campfire sausages need protection).

With the trespassers safely under lock and key in the car, I returned to admire the Gilwell Oak. Beauty and ancientness may not be strict requirements for the UK and European Tree of the Year, but this tree has plenty of both. It is more notable for the spread of its branches than height. Stout, broad and solid, it is the very epitome of the oak tree, symbol of Old England, as well as symbol of Scouting.

The Gilwell Oak also has another quality, one that gives it an air of magic. I stared at this huge living being, and tried to come up with the right word. Then I realised. Of course. Resonance.

Tom King is the author of The Essex Joke Book, and The London Joke Book, both available in April.