Midsummer Oaks
The Midsummer Oak was a special tree for the early inhabitants of Milton Keynes, and acorns planted from it have helped continue its legacy.
The Midsummer Oak tree was an ancient tree that stood on a patch of ground near The Point in Central Milton Keynes. It was hundreds of years old, and a known landmark to the early inhabitants of the emerging new town. You can see it in this photo from 1985, just to the left of The Point. © MKDC. Crown Copyright. Used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Image courtesy of the City Discovery Centre
In 2000, the shopping centre was extended with Midsummer Place (INTU). It was built around a protected ancient oak tree – the Midsummer Oak. The tree was hundreds of years old, and a known landmark to the people of Milton Keynes at the time.
The designers of Midsummer Place created a circular area open to the sky around the oak so that visitors could still enjoy the tree. Photo © johnc@studiomk.co.uk. Image courtesy of the City Discovery Centre
Sadly, the ancient oak could not adapt to the new development and started to die.
Numerous attempts were made to save the tree, but as it became clear that it was unlikely to survive, acorns were taken from the ancient oak to develop into saplings. The Parks Trust, together with local schools, planted them around Milton Keynes. A few of them are now healthy oak trees.
This is one of four that are near local schools. Since 2025, local children from Giles Brook, New Bradwell and Willen primary schools have been helping The Parks Trust team to keep an eye on the trees and are taking part in activities to help them thrive.
There are midsummer oaks near Willen, in Tattenhoe and Old Wolverton, but, if you want to see one, the most accessible is at New Bradwell, near the allotments What3Words: ///prowling.guitar.thread
Discover Milton Keynes' heritage by exploring the city's historical landmarks and scheduled ancient monuments.
