An Ancient Tree Trunk In Kensington Gardens With A Magical Surprise

In the far North West corner of Kensington Gardens you’ll find a gnarled tree trunk, protected by a metal mesh cage.

Get a little bit closer and you will see that, sequestered in all the twists, hollows, nooks and crannies of the wood, are an array of tiny carved, mythical figures.

This unusual display is known as the Elfin Oak and is made from a hollow ancient oak tree trunk that originated in Richmond Park, thought to be over 800 years old. 

The Elfin Oak was funded by and then gifted to the park by Lady Fortescue in 1930.

George Lansbury, future leader of the Labour party from 1932-35, but at that time head of the Office of Works, was working on a scheme to improve London’s public parks.

The Elfin Oak was part of that scheme and it was therefore dubbed by the press as ‘Uncle George’s Gnomeland’. 

Inspiration for The Elfin Oak

The Elfin Oak was created by children’s book illustrator Ivor Innes.

74 miniatures were carved by Innes, depicting the world of the ‘Little People’, including elves, gnomes, woodland creatures and fairies. Amongst the panopoly of characters to be found are apparently the fantastically named ‘Wookey the witch’, ‘Huckleberry the gnome’, ‘Grumples’, ‘Groodle’ and many more.

Innes’ wife Elsie went on to write a children’s book called ‘The Elfin Oak of Kensington Gardens’, which he illustrated.

There was a fascination in this period with mythical creatures and ‘Little People’, evidenced for example in J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, first published in 1904. 

Elsewhere in Kensington Gardens you can actually find the Peter Pan statue, dating from 1912. This, with its woodland creatures and sculpted figures, was an inspiration for the Elfin Oak.

Restoration

Over the following decades the elements took their toll. The paint started to fade and figures broke or went missing.

In the 1960’s and then again in 1996, Spike Milligan led campaigns to raise money for its restoration. After the restoration in 1996 the oak was unveiled by Prince Charles.

In 1997 it was given Grade II listed status by Historic England. 

It is a shame that it needs to be protected by the metal cage but, I suppose, understandable. It does though I think make it look almost like a bird cage, built to stop these fantastical creatures from flying away.

If you visit the Elfin Oak make sure to admire this rather lovely clock tower and fountain nearby. It dates from 1909 and just below the four identical clock faces, carved into the wood, it reads ‘Time flies’.

Thank you for reading. See below for more quirky London sites!