THE owner of a 1,000-year-old oak, which local legend says denotes the New Forest's westerly border, has pledged never to cut it down.

The 15ft of the tree that remains stands proudly at the back of a property in Highcliffe and, according to folklore, it was used as a marker in medieval times to indicate the boundary of what was, in 1079, a "royal forest" used by William the Conqueror to hunt deer.

It came to fresh attention after Cllr Lesley Dedman, who lives nearby, raised concerns following an application to remove some of the woodland at the Hoburne Gardens site.

Cllr Dedman said the “Domesday oak”, so-called due to speculation it is directly referenced in the 1086 manuscript, is of “historical significance”.

“It is an important part of local history and I hope it remains undisturbed,” she said.

And owner Peter Diveney gave the Daily Echo assurances that he had no plans to interfere with the tree, which he described as “gorgeous”.

He said the area around the tree was simply being cleared up following his recent purchase of the adjoining house.

“I hope it stands there for another 1,000 years,” he added.

“That tree, I think, depicts the most south-westerly point of the New Forest – and I believe it is mentioned in the Domesday Book.”

He added that he is interested in finding out more about the tree's history after an arborist told him such oaks "spend 300 years growing, 300 years resting and 300 years declining gracefully".

Historian and former Christchurch mayor Michael Hodges said he was unsure of the credibility behind stories claiming the oak is a historic marker.