The bruce castle Oak

Tottenham's oldest oak
Tottenham Trees
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  The Bruce Castle Oak, 
runner-up for
England Tree of the Year 2018

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As a result of achieving second place, the Woodland Trust has awarded the oak a £500 Tree Care Award and a free arboricultural survey.   

To read the Arboricultural Report and conclusions  click here

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​
Poems to the Tottenham Oak 

Click below
Of this tree
Ode from the Oak
The Tottenham Oak

Bruce Castle Park

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Bruce Castle Park, Tottenham's first public park, is home to the oldest oak tree in Tottenham; an ancient sessile oak tree which is over 450 years old.  It was possibly a sapling when Henry VIII met his sister Margaret, Queen of Scotland, at Bruce Castle in 1516, and certainly would have been there when his daughter Elizabeth I visited in 1578.  

As the photograph above shows a large branch of the oak broke off in 2011 and this is the cause of its asymmetrical shape. There is concern about other branches and the general health of the tree so further work is being investigated.
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To find out about the activities of the Friends of Bruce Castle Park
go  to their website
.
Bruce Castle Museum & Park:
Home of Haringey History
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Bruce Castle, a Grade I listed 16th Century manor house in 20 acres of parkland, is home to Haringey's Museum and Archives, as well as the Bruce Castle Oak.

The Museum is a historical treasure trove with  a lively schedule of family activities, frequently changing exhibitions, a wide-ranging schools programme, and a schedule of talks and local history walks.

The Archives hold Haringey's collection of local history documents, maps and photographs.

For more information, including opening hours, visit Bruce Castle Museum

To find out how to join the Friends
to protect our heritage,
visit
Friends of Bruce Castle
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Bruce Castle Oak: a witness of family fun for centuries


Bruce Castle Park occupies the site of one of the four manors of Tottenham; Bruce Castle itself is the only mansion in its grounds that remains in the area. Its name derives from the Scottish royal family of de Brus, who held part of the manor until 1306. After that there were numerous illustrious owners over the centuries. A survey of 1619 shows the manor house with a tower and grove of trees on a site that is similar to the present extent of the public park.  The grounds became Tottenham’s first public park in 1892. 

Read the reminiscences

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The oak features in the memories of many who have grown up in Tottenham. ​
Read some of the stories
Recent celebrations
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Performance of Midsummer Night's Dream by Quantum Theatre on July 21, 2019 organized by Friends of Bruce Castle Park
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Abe Gibson on stage before a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream by Quantum Theatre on July 21, 2019 organized by Friends of Bruce Castle Park
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Friends of Bruce Castle Park Jam in the Park, July 2018
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Friends of Bruce Castle Park, Friends of Bruce Castle and the Antwerp Arms event - 125 years of the Park: past, present, future talks under the Oak 2017
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Performance of Midsummer Night's Dream by Quantum Theatre on July 21, 2019 organized by Friends of Bruce Castle Park
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Abe Gibson performing Jazzy Rain on the Friends of Bruce Castle Park Jam in the Park event. July 2018
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Friends of Bruce Castle Park, Friends of Bruce Castle and the Antwerp Arms event - 125 years of the Park: past, present, future talks under the Oak 2017
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Children practising football on a winter Sunday morning

​Find out more about the Bruce Castle Oak in Calling Tree - part of the LIFT Festival 2016 here
See the Calling Tree @ Bruce Castle Oak gallery here​

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Find out what's happening!
Learn more about trees
Find out out about the Tree Charter
Sign up for  Tottenham Trees Occasional Updates
Contact us at: tottenhamtrees@gmail.com
In Tottenham seven trees were planted in a ring over 400 years ago for reasons lost in time; the Seven Sisters area and the underground station are named after them. The seven trees have been replanted a number of times, always by seven sisters. 

The Tottenham Trees logo, shown on the right, is a silhouette of the Bruce Castle Oak with the logo of the Charter for Trees, Woods and People launched in November 2017, on the 800th anniversary of the Royal Charter of the Forest.

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  • Tottenham Trees
    • #HaringeyFavouriteTrees 2022
    • #HaringeyFavouriteTrees 2021
    • Special trees in Tottenham >
      • Bruce Castle Oak >
        • Arboricultural survey
        • Reminiscences of the Bruce Castle Oak
        • Calling Tree >
          • Calling Tree: gallery
      • Mulberry tree
      • Seven Sisters
    • Trees in Tottenham (Galleries) >
      • Tottenham trees (A-D common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (E-K common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (L-R common name)
      • Tottenham Trees (S-Z common name)
    • Trees in Art from Tottenham
    • Trees in Words from Tottenham >
      • Epping
      • It's a Word Thing!
      • Message on leaves
      • Ode from the Oak
      • Of this tree
      • The Elder
    • Tottenham parks >
      • St Ann's Redevelopment
    • Tottenham Tree Trails
    • Who we are >
      • Postcards and Bags
  • Charter for Trees
    • Charter history
    • Charter Principles
    • Independent Panel on Forestry
  • About Trees
    • Latest news on Trees 2021 >
      • Tree articles 2020
      • Tree articles 2019
      • Tree articles 2018
      • Tree articles 2017
      • Tree articles 2016
      • Tree articles 2015
    • Threats to our trees
    • Tree Identification
    • Tree Quizzes >
      • Celebrating Trees Quiz 2019 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees 2019
      • Celebrating Trees 2018 >
        • Answers: Celebrating Trees
      • Lazy Sunday Tree Quiz >
        • Answers: Lazy Sunday
    • Global Tree Calendar
  • Urban Trees
    • Growing trees from seed
    • iTree surveying
    • Street Trees for Living
    • Tree care
    • Tree packs for free
    • Tree planting
    • Trees in the Townscape
  • Inspirations
    • Wangari Maathai >
      • Green Belt Movement
      • Institute and Foundation
      • First Seven Trees
      • Remembering Wangari
      • Kenya
    • Felix Finkbeiner
    • Chico Mendes
    • Chipko Movement
    • Plant for the Planet >
      • 3 Point Plan
    • Inspiring stories from around the world
  • Tree Events
    • Tree Charter Day 2019 >
      • Legacy Oak Ale
    • Urban Tree Festival 2019
    • Wassail 2019
    • Tree Charter Day 2018
    • Tree Charter Day 2017
    • 800 year Charter anniversary
    • Poetry Sunday @ Bruce Castle
    • Poetry @ The Room
    • Calling Tree: Tottenham
    • London National Park City 2018
    • London Tree Week 2017
    • London Tree Week 2016
    • Other Tottenham tree events
  • Green Spaces
    • Other Haringey Green Spaces
    • London Friends of Green Spaces
    • London National Park City
    • Parks cafe trail
    • The Conservation Volunteers
    • Future Forest