Oaks for Lincoln Cathedral

Bht pledges oaks for Lincoln Cathedral Roof Restoration

A leather-bound “Book of Oaks” contains the names of all of those who have pledged, planted, grown and promised oaks for this purpose. To mark the importance of this project, the Cathedral team have placed a stone replica of the Book in Monks Wood in Lincolnshire. At a ceremony which took place on Saturday 7 November in the Wood at Ashing Lane Nature Reserve, Dunholme, the stone was blessed by the Cathedral team. Also invited were delegates from the Nettleham Woodland Trust (NWT) who created the woodland, and other partners who have promised the gift of oak trees over the last 20 years, including British Hardwood Tree Nursery. This project forms part of the Forestry Commission’s Cathedral Oaks Dedication Scheme where landowners can assign a part of their woodland planting once they reach maturity.

Ashing Lane Nature Reserve covers nearly 15 acres and is the largest county woodland created and managed by a volunteer group, the NWT.

The Cathedral’s roof needs new timbers which must be stored and dried within the Cathedral’s environment for a number of years before they can be used. The oak trees that have been planted and destined for the roof are felled when they reach the right size – 200mm thick and 8-10 metres long. Some of the oldest beams still remaining were already 400 years old when they were installed in the 12th century and new beams are expected to remain for centuries to come.

Find out more about the Book Of Oaks on the Lincoln Cathedral website. If you would like to donate timber, contact their Fund Development Office.