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A century before the Norman Conquest, a small sapling began to emerge that would grow to be a fine oak of more than 500 years old at the Battle of Bosworth and 700 years old when the first Duke of Marlborough began to build Blenheim Palace, home to the largest collection of veteran oak trees in Europe, in 1705. That said, it is impossible to put an exact date on this great Queen of the woods. Like many ancient oaks, its very trunk has hollowed out over centuries, meaning you could no longer count its rings.

In this majestic Moorcroft design, the Queen Oak reigns over the forest with short eared owls standing on sentry duty, and bees swarming like squadrons from its hollows. If that was not enough, tree creepers climb its colossal girth in their renowned spirals - pointed tails and downwards-curved bills creep like SAS scouts, exploring bark and crevices, and using their long, sharp beaks to pick out insects such as earwigs. Our Queen Oak is also host to Purple Emperors in the dense, richly coloured canopy of her branches, who clothe the design in a regal purple as they flutter above fern, acorn and mangled deposits of Oak mildew.

Buying this vase supports the work of The Royal Forestry Society and Action Oak.

• Designer: Emma Bossons
• Dimensions: H 38.00 x W 28.00 x D 2.00 cm
• Moorcroft Shape Number: 576/15