UK Oak Open Days 2024

The 2024 edition of the UK OODs will combine outstanding oak collections and veteran oak trees.

The event will begin on Saturday, June 15 at Silwood Park, the rural campus of Imperial College London and site of the oak collection curated by Prof. Mick Crawley FRS. The collection has recently become a National Collection for Quercus, one of only four collections in the UK to receive the distinction awarded by Plant Heritage. Prof. Crawley will show us round the 230 oak taxa and the day's program will also include a presentation by Kevin Martin, Head of Tree Collections Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The following day we will visit nearby Windsor Great Park, home to one of the largest collections of ancient oaks remaining in Western Europe and the site of the world-renowned Savill Garden. John Anderson, Keeper of The Savill Garden, will be our host.

An optional third day on Monday, June 17, will offer the opportunity to visit Borde Hill, a family estate with one of the largest collections of privately owned champion trees in the UK, including several Quercus species, cultivars, and hybrids. The day’s program will also include Wakehurst, a wild botanic garden managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The approximate locations of the venues we will visit can be viewed on a map here.

For further information about this event and to reserve your place, please write to tours@internationaloaksociety.org