Secrets of an ancient oak tree could be revealed by cutting edge technology
The mysteries of an ancient tree, the only living witness to a battle between the English and Welsh more than 1,000 years ago, could be revealed after it was scanned by cutting edge technology.
The Oak at the Gate of the Dead which stands near Chirk Castle, at the site of the 1165 Battle of Crogen, is named after a burial site of battle dead that is thought to be nearby.
A Welsh army under Owain Gwynedd inflicted a defeat upon the English king Henry II and forced him to retreat. The battle's dead were said to have been buried in the ditch of Offa's Dyke by the oak.
Shropshire 'ancient tree hunter' Rob McBride, who says the oak is the only living witness to this battle, met scientists working on the Woodland Trust's Scatter Project at the tree this week.
