Darley

The Darley Oak

The land on which the Darley Oak (Quercus robur) grows was in the Dingle family from the 12th century through to the early part of the 20th century. Understood to be about 1000 years old and the largest oak in Cornwall, this ‘knarled ancient’ is referred to in original family documents as growing on their land in 1030.  In 1727, in Harvey’s book of the Parish of Linkinhorne on the edge of Bodmin Moor, it was recorded as being 36 feet (11 metres) in circumference with seven steps leading up to its centre.  Polsue, in his ancient history of Cornwall, records that the tree was used for “small pleasure parties in the summer season.”  The Western Morning News in 1933 described it as being 38 feet (11.6 metres), indicating that it had been growing steadily in the intervening centuries. However, since then the tree has not increased in size and its girth is still 38 feet (11.6 metres).

One of the beliefs associated with the tree is that “persons afflicted with divers diseases being passed through the tree” will be cured.  It is thought that the tree can cure boils and it is also believed that if a person passes through the hollow stem, makes a wish and then encircles the tree along the narrow path, the wish will materialise in due course. No indications are given about the time span implied by “due course”.