A centuries-old oak tree that has “more ecological value than the Sycamore Gap” has been cut down by the owners of a nearby Toby Carvery.
Reports were made to Enfield Council in London earlier this month over the felling of an ancient oak tree in Whitewebbs Wood, a woodland in the north of the capital, with locals having decried the incident as “devastating”.
The tree, which was thought to be in the top 100 of London’s 600,000 oak trees in terms of its size, sat on land owned by the council that was leased to Mitchell and Butlers, the hospitality group that operates the Whitewebbs House Toby Carvery in the park.
A spokesperson for Mitchell and Butlers said the tree was cut down after the company was advised by arboriculture experts that it caused a “serious health and safety risk”.
“This was an essential action to protect our employees and guests, to whom we have a duty of care,” the spokesperson said. “We took every necessary measure to ensure all legal requirements were met,” they said.
“We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly, allowing us to act before anyone was harmed."
Lawrence-Thor Stephen, CEO of London-based tree care company Thor’s Trees, not the company that worked on the tree, said the 3 April felling was a “loss for Enfield” and “a loss for the nation”.
The tree is estimated to be up to 500 years old, and Mr Stephen said that, due to its age, it is more ecologically valuable than the roughly 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree near Hadrian’s Wall, which was felled in 2023.
“I can’t believe this has happened,” he said. “This is a loss of a national treasure.”
The tree is a pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) with a girth of 6.1m, and it is officially verified on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory.
Mr Stephen told The Independent that thousands of species of birds, bats and insects rely on the tree to survive.
“When an ancient tree falls, it’s nature that’s wounded – and a community,” he said.
“But from this, we have the chance to build something better: stronger protections, greater awareness, and a renewed commitment to the trees that quietly support all life around us.
“Let’s make sure this story is not just one of loss but a turning point for action.”
The Woodland Trust, which has been advocating for legal protections for the country’s oldest and most important trees, called the incident “devastating”.
The trust cited support for its Living Legends petition that was handed to Downing Street with 100,000 signatures in November and the Heritage Trees Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords by Baroness Young in 2023.
The legislation proposes the introduction of a list of nationally important heritage trees and a preservation order that could be used to promote the protection of ancient and important trees.
In a statement issued before Mitchell and Butlers revealed it was behind the tree being cut down, Ergin Erbil, leader of Enfield Council, said that while the incident occurred on 3 April, the council wasn’t made aware until last week, prompting it to carry out an immediate inspection of the site.
In that statement, he said the incident had been reported to the police and a tree preservation order was put in place to protect it from further damage. The Metropolitan Police confirmed before Mitchell and Butlers’ admission that it had received a report from Enfield Council.
Both the police and the council have since been contacted for further comment.
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