TREE ‘OLDER THAN STONEHENGE’ FOUND

The 5,000-year-old tree dug up in Cambridgeshire offers a rare glimpse into Britain's past

- Daniel Graham

A tree that took root almost 5,000 years ago - before the first stones were raised at Stonehenge - has been unearthed at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire during the National Trust's largest lowland peatland restoration project.

Using tree-ring analysis, the ancient oak, preserved deep in the peat, has been dated to 2894 BCE. It lived for 222 years and was standing before peat began to form in the area. Experts say the extraordinary find, which links the site to a dry Late-Neolithic woodland, offers a unique glimpse into Britain's prehistoric environment.