An ancient tree known as the Bowthorpe Oak, located in a grass paddock to the south of Bowthorpe Park Farm. Believed to be over a thousand years old, it is thought to have the widest girth of any living pendunculate oak in the UK at 13.3m. The hollow trunk has been a visitor attraction for many years, with records of past owners and local residents using it as a venue for tea parties and entertainment. At one time, the tree was said to have had a door and a ceiling with pigeon loft above fitted inside. The occupier of Bowthorpe Park, George Pauncefort Esquire, is recorded in 1768 as having had benches placed within the tree to use it as a dining area. Until fairly recently, cows, sheep, chickens and horses could be seen grazing in and around the tree. It is now fenced off to prevent too much soil compaction around the base, and chains have been fitted to help support the trunk. {1}{2}