Geograph - photograph every grid square

An ancient oak tree in Belton Lane, much valued by the locals.

The tree is protected by South Kesteven district council, and was nominated in the 2020 Tree of the Year poll by the Woodland Trust. Let me quote what they wrote about it:

"The impressive Grantham Oak stands at the roadside in a residential area of Grantham. Just over 100 years ago, its surroundings would have all been fields, aside from the watermill over the way. Around that time it would have also seen the troops training at nearby Belton Park marching back and forth under it as they prepared to be sent off to the front lines of the First World War. Even as its surroundings have changed over the years, the oak remains.

Recently however, its future looked less certain. In 2018, a utility company set up working around the tree, parking heavy equipment under its branches and digging trenches nearby, inadvertently threatening its roots. The Woodland Trust, also based in Grantham, sprung into action, working with the council to make sure that adequate protections were put in place to ensure the tree’s future – a rope barrier has been erected to keep vehicles from driving over its roots, followed by a special protective surface over the wider area. The Grantham oak should still have a long life ahead of it."

It featured in the finals of the same comptition in 2023, when the council wrote:
"Towering above a quiet residential street, Grantham’s oldest resident predates the surrounding houses by several centuries. The area has never been parkland, so this tree could be a chance survivor or a lone reminder of the agricultural land that Grantham’s streets now occupy. To give this ancient oak the care it deserves, we’ve worked with the local council and residents to install a protective surface and barrier to keep the tree safe from harm. In 2023, we took cuttings from the tree and grafted them onto rootstock from the Bowthorpe Oak, another local ancient oak. The resulting 23 saplings can be considered descendants of the Grantham Oak and will preserve the hardy genetic traits that have helped it live so long."