It is over 200 years old and measures 20 metres in height! And yet it is known as "Le Gringalet" (The Weakling) of Echarlens.
This English oak tree grows at the top of a small hill. There, it reigns supreme, as the other trees in the row have been cut down. But this one was too handsome. Standing alone, the oak is unkempt: regular on one side, its top appears to have been eaten away on the other. Its slender, bare trunk gives the impression of weakness, hence its unflattering name.
It has also been called the druids' tree. Geobiologists attribute magical powers to it, claiming that it is a "master-tree".
Although it stands alone on its promontory, rooted for centuries, this oak has never been struck by lightning.
1646 Echarlens
