With reference to your  recent picture of the Newland Oak: As far as I know the tree was too rotten to cut down, but was destroyed by fire. Rumour  is that it was struck by lightening but I have no way of confirming this.

About 25 years ago Dr Cyril Hart came into my workshop with a piece of the Newland Oak which he wished to be cut and polished as he wanted it for a paperweight  to use on his desk, and to remind him that his mother used to play inside the tree when she was a young girl. Was his mother the Nelly Partridge described in his book  on Coleford?

 I was graciously given the offcuts which of course I still have, one of which is charred. If you read page 53/ 54 of the Coleford book you will see that in  1282 the Newland Oak was already 200 years old, so is this piece of brown oak that I am now holding in my hand 927 years old? – Charles Ballard, Coleford.