Perhaps the tree on this list with the most unpleasant story attached to them, Kett’s Oak is the traditional location of what became known as the 1549 Kett’s Rebellion, named after the brother’s William and Robert Kett. The Kett’s Rebellion was, in short, a revolt in response to wealthy landowners enclosing ‘common land’ (a term to describe collective land that all people have the rights to use), by fencing off newly proclaimed boundary lines and pushing poorer workers from their homes. Robert Kett, a local yeoman (someone who owns or cultivates land, or is a middle-ranking servant within a noble household), rather than resisting the revolt, became their leader and spearheaded the tearing down of enclosure fences before leading his followers to battle, eventually loosing to the forces of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland.

After loosing the battle the Kett brother's were subsequently captured, tried for treason and hung later that year (it is worth noting that John Dudley was also later tried and executed for treason). Nine of their followers who were also captured are said to have been hung from the boughs of Kett’s oak. As such, the tree became a symbol of the rebellion and was occasionally referred to as the ‘Oak of Reformation’. However, allegedly the original ‘Oak of Reformation’ no longer stands, having been cut down sometime in the 1960’s to make way for a local car park. The specific association of the revolt to this tree, therefore, is ambiguous.

Nevertheless, the tree has several fascinating preservation features contributing to its continued protection. On the left of this photograph, a huge, A-frame constructed to hold up an enormous bough can be seen emerging from the ground, as can a fabric support held by wire on the far-right hand side. The tree is protected by a narrow fence, similar to Son of Royal Oak, however due to the tree’s proximity to the B1172, there are no further fences to protect them. Visitation to the tree is slightly tricky, but can be accessed via a cycle lane that runs adjacent to the road. Although the lane does take you close to the tree, there is a deep dip between the lane and the hedgerow that creates pause, particularly as the surrounding vegetations is made up primarily of brambles and stinging nettles.