A village is mourning the loss of a giant veteran oak tree believed to be one of the oldest in Devon. The Silverton Oak - recorded as being around 600 years old in the Silverton Parish Neighbourhood Plan - has suddenly come crashing down today, January 25.
It had stood proudly in the playing fields of The Rec in Coach Road, the largest dedicated recreation area in the parish. Silverton is one of the oldest villages in Devon and the tree has been regarded as a 'symbol' of the village for generations and a fond part of many people's childhoods.
According to a post on the community's Facebook page, a Mid Devon District Council tree officer has been in attendance and has reputedly said contractors will be out in the next few days.
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One resident has told how they have a one-year-old sapling from an acorn collected in 2022 and has suggested a replacement from it could be planted.
Another said: "It would be amazing if some good could come out of this tragedy. Are there parts of the trunk or limbs that could be made into something special? This tree has been a symbol of the village for generations. So sad."
Mid Devon District Council has been approached for a comment.
