Beech is a native tree of southern England and has grown there for thousands of years, but there are very few ancient beech woods remaining in southern England today. Many of what seem like ancient beech woods were actually planted by man quite recently. The great beech forests of the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire, for example, were almost entirely planted in the 18th century when it became fashionable to plant beech on private estates. The Getty estate is once such example which has some fabulous beech trees.

And did you know that a large beech tree can provide enough oxygen for the daily requirements of ten people? Every family should have one!