Healthy Ancient Oak Felled at Toby Carvery Whitewebbs Park 2026

Key Points

• An ancient 500-year-old oak tree in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, north London, was felled beside a Toby Carvery restaurant in April despite being healthy.
• A Forestry Commission report found no evidence the tree posed any danger, with no signs of major diseases and a largely intact trunk aside from a cavity showing wildlife habitation.
• Aerial and ground photographs before felling showed the tree was not overhanging the car park or any target areas; a survey last year described it as a “fine specimen” with healthy foliage and new leaf growth.
• Mitchells and Butlers, owners of Toby Carvery, initially claimed contractors cut it down on health and safety grounds.
• The felling left only a high stump, removing most of the crown—the tree’s reproductive part—drastically reducing survival chances.
• Dr Ed Pyne, senior conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust, assessed post-felling that the tree was “very much alive” with less than a 1% chance of survival.
• The tree held historical significance, dating back to the time of the Gunpowder Plot, and provided irreplaceable habitat.
• Russell Miller of Guardians of Whitewebbs called it ecologically worth “1,000 Sycamore Gaps,” comparing it to the illegally felled 120-year-old Sycamore Gap tree.
• The Woodland Trust’s Living Legends petition, seeking protected status for heritage trees, has over 100,000 signatures and was delivered to Downing Street in November.

Enfield (North London News) February 26, 2026 – A damning Forestry Commission report has revealed that a 500-year-old oak tree felled beside a Toby Carvery restaurant in Whitewebbs Park was healthy and showed no significant risk, contradicting claims by owners Mitchells and Butlers that it was removed for health and safety reasons.

The inverted pyramid structure ensures the most critical facts emerge first: the tree’s pristine condition, the abrupt felling in April, and the ongoing backlash from conservationists and locals. This incident has ignited debates over ancient tree protection amid urban development pressures.

Why Was the Ancient Oak Tree Felled in Whitewebbs Park?

The oak, a towering presence in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, met its fate in April when contractors acting for Mitchells and Butlers, the company behind Toby Carvery, removed it. According to the Forestry Commission’s site inspection, as detailed in their newly released report, there were “no indications” the tree posed any danger.

Aerial and ground photographs captured before the felling demonstrated the oak was not overhanging the nearby car park or any “target areas,” such as paths or buildings.

A professional survey conducted last year further praised it as a “fine specimen,” with images revealing lush, healthy foliage and fresh leaf growth. Inspectors noted the trunk remained largely intact, save for a single cavity that bore clear evidence of wildlife habitation—ancient trees like this often serve as vital ecosystems for bats, insects, and birds.

Mitchells and Butlers originally justified the action by stating contractors had cut down the tree on health and safety grounds, as reported in initial coverage by BBC News. However, the Commission’s findings directly challenge this narrative, uncovering “little evidence” that felling was necessary.

The work was extensive: crews left only a high stump, stripping away most of the crown—the tree’s reproductive upper branches. This mutilation has left the oak in a precarious state, with experts deeming recovery highly unlikely.

What Did the Forestry Commission Report Specifically Find?

Delving deeper into the technical assessment, the Forestry Commission’s inspectors scoured the site for signs of structural weakness or disease.

They found none of the hallmarks of major tree ailments, such as ash dieback or acute oak decline, which plague many veteran trees across the UK.

The trunk’s condition was particularly telling: solid and uncompromised, bar the aforementioned cavity teeming with life. No rot, decay, or instability threatened the carvery’s operations or public safety. Photographs from before April’s chop confirmed the tree’s stable positioning, far from any overhanging risk over the car park.

This report, released this week, underscores a pattern of precautionary overreach in urban green spaces, where ancient trees fall victim to development fears without rigorous evidence.

How Has Dr Ed Pyne of the Woodland Trust Responded?

Dr Ed Pyne, senior conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust, inspected the site post-felling and delivered a stark verdict.

“I visited the tree in the aftermath and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind the tree was very much alive,”

he stated, as quoted in BBC News coverage.

Pyne went further, estimating the probabilities of survival as “so slim.”

“If I had to put like a gut feeling on it, I would say like less than one percent chance,”

he added. The removal of the crown has severed the tree’s ability to photosynthesise effectively, dooming what was once a thriving giant.

Pyne also highlighted the oak’s historical gravitas. Describing it as present since the “beginning of the Gunpowder Plot—an integral part of British culture,” he positioned it as more than flora: a living link to 1526, predating even the 1605 plot by centuries.

What Is the Ecological Impact of Losing This Irreplaceable Habitat?

Local campaigner Russell Miller, speaking for Guardians of Whitewebbs—a community group formed to safeguard Enfield’s Whitewebbs Park—emphasised the devastation.

“The tree was ecologically significant due to it being an irreplaceable habitat,”

Miller asserted.

He drew a potent comparison to the Sycamore Gap tree, a 120-year-old icon illegally felled in 2023, which captured national heartbreak (as covered extensively by BBC News).

“If you were to compare ecologically Sycamore Gap with this tree, this tree is worth 1,000 Sycamore Gaps, more than that,”

Miller said.

“The Sycamore Gap was a relatively young tree, which isn’t in any way to undermine the significance of the loss to the people who valued that tree. All I’m trying to do is help people understand the scale of this destruction.”

Veteran oaks like this host rare lichens, deadwood fungi, and breeding sites for endangered species, habitats impossible to replant. Guardians of Whitewebbs has rallied residents, decrying the loss as a blow to Enfield’s biodiversity.

Who Owns Toby Carvery and What Have They Said?

Mitchells and Butlers, the pub chain’s parent company, owns the Toby Carvery adjacent to Whitewebbs Park. Their initial statement, relayed via BBC News, pinned the decision on contractors acting out of health and safety concerns. No further public response has emerged since the Forestry Commission’s report contradicted their position.

The carvery’s proximity to the park places it under scrutiny, as Enfield Council grapples with balancing commerce and conservation. Local authorities have yet to comment officially, though campaigners urge an inquiry.

Why Is the Woodland Trust’s Living Legends Petition Gaining Traction?

The Woodland Trust has channelled public outrage into action via its Living Legends petition, which seeks legal protections for heritage trees to avert repeats of Whitewebbs and Sycamore Gap. Handed to Downing Street in November, it boasts “more than 100,000 signatures,” per Trust statements.

Dr Pyne’s involvement amplifies calls for “living legend” status, granting ancient trees safeguards akin to listed buildings. Supporters argue this would compel thorough assessments before any chainsaw touches bark.

What Does This Mean for Tree Protection in North London?

Enfield’s green lungs, like Whitewebbs Park, face mounting pressures from housing, retail, and infrastructure. This oak’s fate spotlights flaws in current guidelines, where health and safety trumps ecological audits.

Campaigners like Miller demand accountability: Who authorised the cut? Were alternatives, such as pruning, explored? The Forestry Commission’s impartial probe sets a precedent, potentially influencing planning decisions across London boroughs.

Residents have launched petitions and social media drives, tagging Mitchells and Butlers and Enfield Council. As spring approaches, the stump—once a colossus—serves as a stark reminder of what’s at stake.

North Londoners, passionate about their parks, view this as a rallying cry. Guardians of Whitewebbs vows to persist, ensuring the oak’s story catalyses change.