New Forest King Oak saved from being felled

The King Oak has been a familiar landmark at Moyles Court for centuries

A landmark oak tree in the New Forest, thought to be more than 600 years old, has been saved from being felled.

The King Oak at Moyles Court near Ringwood was declared dead earlier this year.

Specialist pruning work was carried out to prevent any damage or injury from falling branches and allow it to remain standing on its roadside location.

The National Park Authority (NPA) said such ancient trees were "an important part of a forest's ecosystem".

The King Oak, which has been a prominent feature by the road at Moyles Court, had been showing signs of decline for at least a century and failed to come into leaf before experts declared it dead.

Specialist equipment was used to prune the dead tree

The NPA said the tree had been pruned several times over the years as the crown continued to die back, with each set of works removing a large quantity of deadwood and dead branch tips - known as "stag heading".

Tree officer James Palmer said: "Being in such a busy public space, the tree needed further pruning to safely retain what we see today.

"While keeping the deadwood in place is favourable, we had to consider any potential damage or injury caused by falling branches."

'Cultural landmark'

Specialist equipment and a crane were used to prune the dead tree rather than fell it to the ground.

Cuts were deliberately made to emulate storm damage - called veteranisation - to make the finish more contusive to wildlife including fungi, mosses, ferns and other specialist plants and animals that require niche habitats to survive.

Mr Palmer said such trees were "culturally important".

"We have been pleased to help retain a portion of the King Oak, which will remain an important cultural landmark and help support hundreds of other plant and animal species for many years to come," he added.

The authority is also discussing work to the Queen Oak, on the opposite side of the road to the King Oak, which is older and also at at risk of collapse due to internal decay.