Hatfield's Grand Old Masters-Tank Oaks

During the first world war Hatfield Park was used for secret trials of the first tank ever approved for use by the British Army.In commemoration a tank was given to Lord Salisbury in 1919. It was displayed near these two oak trees until 1969 when it was moved to Bovingdon Tank Museum, Dorset.

[Paul "Snapchap" Everest]

Wow! They are fine old oaks. When the first tanks were tested, they actually were classed as "land ships" .

[Gena Pegg]

Gorgeous tree!!!!

[Mags ッ]

Fabulous photo!

[Phil Cameron]

great shot

[Ginny]

Wow that's some impressive oaks!

[Louise]

Fabulous trees. Do you know how old they are? There are some amazing thousand year old oaks at Chatsworth.

[Padlock]

@roachling possibly 1200 years plus

[Louise]

@padlock
I thought they looked around the thousand mark - 1200 years is just amazing!

[Ivan]

Wonderful trees and interesting tank history.

[Karin Hirsch]

A very old oak tree for sure

[bkb in the city]

What a great old tree

[william wooderson]

The oak on the right certainly looks as big and and as strong as a tank...

[Glenn Mostert]

Thanks for the history as well as the photo Padlock! Its good to know something about the shot! nice shot!

[Danny G.]

Magnificent giant oaks, beautifully captured

[Zam]

awesome capture!

[Fisher Family]

Wonderful looking trees. The view of them is probably better without the tank, although that would have been an interesting photo too. Katharine

[Sarah Munnings]

Those oaks are wonderful..........I bet they could tell a few tales about what has happened around them

[Steviepix]

Wonderful capture. Ages since I was last there and your photo is an excellent reminder to return there.

[Phil]

I never knew that.... those trees really do have so many centuries of stories to tell.. did you find the 'new' oak along the driveway, planted in place of the one where QE1 was told she was queen...?

[Padlock]

@filsie65 sure did they even have a book about all the ok trees.