Situated near the foot of Glastonbury Tor Hill, stand two ancient oak trees which popular folklore hold to be over 2,000 years old. The two immense and beautifully gnarled trees (named Gog and Magog) were once part of an avenue of oaks that led up to Glastonbury Tor (and, according to some sources, beyond to King Arthur’s castle in South Cadbury).
A Short Video of Gog & Magog (Rec. Autumn 2007)
Planted in the pre-Christian era by the Druids of old, most of Glastonbury’s oak avenue was destroyed in the early 20th Century by a farmer either ignorant of their sacred history or else totally un-enamoured by it.Whilst the exact age of Glastonbury’s two remaining oaks from this avenue is under debate, it is believed that they may well be ancestors to even older sacred trees (again named Gog and Magog) as it was the practice of the Druids to replace dying oaks with saplings grown from their own seed. The sacred lineage of Gog and Magog may well descend back into time immemorial.
The present day Gog and Magog oaks have gained quite a reputation amongst New Age visitors, whom now customarily leave the trees gifts of jewellery, precious stones, money and other adornments. Some visitors have reported seeing wise old faces in the gnarled, old bark which suddenly appear and disappear again quickly.
Gog (Foreground) & Magog, Glastonbury
The oak trees were named after two legendary pagan giants whose race were otherwise wiped out by Brutus and his Trojan army. After the slaughter, Gog and Magog were marched to London where they were chained to the city palace, now the site of the London Guildhall. The captive giants have now been immortalised at the Guildhall – scene of the Lord Mayors Annual Banquet – where they can be seen today in the form of two large wooden carvings.
Locating Glastonbury’s sacred oaks can be a little difficult for the casual visitor as they are not signposted and very little mention is made of them in popular tourist-orientated information leaflets. The trees are relatively easy to find with a little research, however, though parking may prove a little difficult along the country lanes.
Access to the trees can be made via the footpath which runs through the Old Oaks camping site here or from the lengthier but more scenic route along the National Trust footpath which runs past two houses - themselves named Gog and Magog - before veering sharply to the right.
Unfortunately, as all new visitors to the site will discover, Gog has recently passed away but the remains of the mighty oak remain in situ and still attracts grifts from visitors.
The Glastonbury Conservation Society has recently replanted some oak trees to commemmorate the ancient Druid avenue that once stood proud and majestic here. It is unknown by the present author if they plan on growing a saplin from one of Gog’s old acorns on the site of its parent (or if any such acorns still exist) but it is difficult to imagine a more fitting tribute to the once proud and noble trees and to the Druids themselves.
