New Forest's oldest living inhabitants

Moyles Court Oak near Rockford is estimated to be around 400 years old and will be featured in the exhibition

They witnessed the Roundheads fighting the Cavaliers during the English Civil War, Elizabeth I defeating the Spanish Armada, and survived being used for ship building during the Napoleonic Wars.

Now for the first time you can find out more about the New Forest’s ancient trees – some of which are reputed to be over 1,000 years old – in an interactive exhibition.

The month long display at the New Forest Centre in Lyndhurst is sponsored by ExxonMobil at the Fawley Refinery and attempts to unravel the mystery of these ancient trees.

Bryan Wilson, Senior Tree Officer at the New Forest National Park Authority, said: ‘The New Forest is of exceptional importance for ancient and veteran trees. It has a greater concentration than anywhere else in Western Europe – nearly 1,500 trees have been recorded and we know there are more to find.

‘They can be discovered almost anywhere. However, the greatest numbers survive within the Ancient and Ornamental New Forest woodlands that once formed a great medieval hunting ground which remains remarkably intact to this day.’

The exhibition runs from 20 October to 25 November 2012 at the New Forest Centre which is open every day from 10am- 4.30pm.

To view ancient trees already recorded in the New Forest visit www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/planning/trees/ancient-trees/map