Through the years most of the oaks of Robinhood's forest died of old age. The Major Oak is one of the very few survivors left. It is now 800 years old, weighs 23 tons and is 28 metres wide. Its trunk has a circumference of 10 metres. Although it would be appropriate, "The Major Oak" doesn't mean "The Big Oak". In fact it should be called "The Major's Oak" in memory of Major Hayman Rooks who first described the tree in 1790. Before that date it was referred to as "The Cockpen Tree" because it was used as a cockerel pen by the local farmers.