51°30′31.20″N0°11′16.57″W / 51.5086667°N 0.1879361°W /51.5086667; -0.1879361
TheElfin Oak is the stump of a 900-year-oldoak tree located inKensington Gardens,London, carved and painted to look as thoughelves,gnomes,fairies and small animals are living in its bark.
The hollow log, donated by Lady Fortescue, originally came fromRichmond Park, and was moved to Kensington Gardens in 1928 as part ofGeorge Lansbury's scheme of public improvements in London.[1][2] Over the next two years the illustratorIvor Innes carved the figures of the "Little People" into it.[1] These included Wookey the witch, with her three jars of health, wealth and happiness, Huckleberry the gnome, carrying a bag of berries up the Gnomes' Stairway to the banquet within Bark Hall, and Grumples and Groodles the Elves, being awakened by Brownie, Dinkie, Rumplelocks and Hereandthere stealing eggs from the crows' nest.[1]
Innes also illustrated a 1930 children's book written by his wife Elsie and based on theElfin Oak.[3] In it, Elsie wrote:
for centuries now it has been the home of fairies, gnomes, elves, imps, and pixies. In the nooks and crannies they lurk, or peer out of holes and crevices, their natural windows and doorways. It is their hiding-place by day, their revelry place by night, and when the great moon tops the bare branchless tree the Elfin Clans come out to play and frolic in the moonlight.
The inside cover ofPink Floyd's 1969 albumUmmagumma features a picture ofDavid Gilmour in front of theElfin Oak.[4]
The comedianSpike Milligan was a lifelong fan of the tree, and in 1996 personally financed a successful campaign to have it restored. The team was led by sculptor Marcus Richards and a group of art students fromByam Shaw School of Art.[2][5][6] Milligan himself personally repainted much of tree.[7] In December 1997 Heritage MinisterTony Banks declared it aGrade II listed structure.[1]
Media related toElfin Oak at Wikimedia Commons