CathB

Thanks Stere and correct, we've got new oaks in the guards. Next time round I'm going to fence bigger & plant more with some scrub species too. Just all adds up a bit cost wise!

Thanks hugely all, I really appreciate your knowledge and thoughts. We need to cater for both the future of mature trees & the stock beneath which is sheep most of the year, and heifers for a few months in the summer. We've lost two of the seven oaks in the last 2 years, so just trying to work out how to best preserve the rest - fencing is a option but it's minimum 75m for the smallest canopy & I'd prefer to do post & rail wood vs cheaper stock fence as 16 apartments (an old Hall building converted) look out onto the park field. But the cost is ££ for 5 trees, so I'm trying to work out which to prioritise - hence seeing the ganoderma resinaceum on one which complicates it if it's already compromised the trunk. Decisions!

I've got a bit confused on Mr Google as to what the different types of oak bracket are so hoping some experts on here can help! The attached photos show what I think is an oak bracket on an old park oak in Cumbria. My questions are - what type & how indicative is this of white rot, and can one tell how bad it is just from the fruiting body? The same field has 7 park oaks, all about 250 years old, but two have sadly fallen in the last three years, both on calm days. One was already stag-headed and retrenching but the other seemingly perfectly healthy. The field is stocked year round so we assumed it was a combination of soil compaction, inorganic fertilisers, dung & work treatments.. but maybe it's more likely to be fungi? I'm not sure. We'd be very appreciative of any ID/ thoughts!

Ah thanks! I'm pretty sure there's a low chance for any of these as it is one of 7/8 open field trees & not near any boundaries/ fences etc but as you say, never know...

Thank you all for taking the time to respond, it really is much appreciated. Sadly this is the second of two to go down in this field in the last three years (assuming side effects of decades of grazing), so it does need to move & have a life beyond. We will look to stabilise it, and then the question is, is there any financial return - mixed responses on the thread here?! Is it realistically worth more than 'wood for work', given it'll be tricky to deal with? Or pay to section it get it roadside (about 100m) & then try & sell the timber? Thanks so much! ps.. must admit I didn't understand this from Vet Member from Surrey!? "The only worry would be shake and pinholes and as it is a farm field ink stain and staples." - new language to me!!

This 200 year-ish old oak fell in Cumbria in August '24, it was stag-headed and in retrenching phase but fell on a windless day. I'm been tasked with working out what to do with it and have read lots of threads on here re. fallen oaks & timber but am confused. I just wanted to ask your opinions as to what to do. Leave it as dead wood, mill for boards, firewood...?! To a novice eye, it looks as though it's fallen in a way that won't be easy to deal with.. many thanks, I appreciate any input.