The Elfin Oak carved tree stump by Ivor Innes, Kensington Gardens, London, United Kingdom
The Elfin Oak
Ivor Innes · “The Elfin Oak”, carved and painted oak stump, unveiled 1930 · beside the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens, London
Photo: Ethan Doyle White, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, taken 19 October 2021 (resized)
Look closely at this old oak stump in Kensington Gardens and you find elves, fairies, a witch and small animals living in its bark. The illustrator Ivor Innes carved and painted them into a trunk brought from Richmond Park, and the Elfin Oak was unveiled on 25 July 1930. Spike Milligan helped restore it in the 1960s and again in the 1990s, it has been Grade II listed since 1997, and in 2026 The Royal Parks had its 97 figurines repaired.
5 things to know
- A fairy tree for London’s childrenIn January 1930 Lady Fortescue wrote to George Lansbury, then in charge of the Royal Parks: “She proposed a new plan to benefit ‘the children of London’, which she hoped their ‘Fairy Godfather’ Lansbury would consider.” The plan centred on her friend Ivor Innes. The Royal Parks
- An oak from Richmond Park“Children’s book illustrator Ivor Innes carved miniature figurines around the natural features of a mature oak brought from Richmond Park, another one of London’s eight Royal Parks.” The Royal Parks, 2026 · Londonist
- Barrie sent his blessingJ.M. Barrie was asked to unveil it but could not come, writing: “may this Elfin Oak have a triumphant career”. “The tree was eventually unveiled by the Mayoress of Kensington on 25 July 1930.” The Royal Parks
- Spike Milligan, twice“In 1964 he contacted the parks offering to restore the Elfin Oak free of charge.” Then: “By 1995 the tree was in need of help again and Spike Milligan came to the rescue, launching a campaign to raise £100,000 for a full restoration.” The then Prince Charles unveiled the restored tree on 12 June 1997. The Royal Parks · Geograph, plaque
- Easier to see since 2026DBR Conservation repaired 97 figurines in 2026, and the cage was changed “by removing the mesh lining and reducing the number of bars that encase the Elfin Oak.” The Royal Parks, 2026 · Londonist
Check-in guide
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- In Kensington Gardens, by the entrance to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, near Kensington Palace (The Royal Parks, Londonist, Geograph).
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- Atlas Obscura gives the address as Broad Walk, London W2 4RU, with Black Lion Gate off Bayswater Road as the nearest entrance and Queensway as the nearest Tube station (Atlas Obscura).
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- The figures sit behind a railed cage under a small roof. In 2026 its mesh lining was removed and the number of bars reduced, so they are easier to see (The Royal Parks).
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- The Maps button uses the position given with a 2014 photo of the oak: 51.508659, -0.187909 (Commons, David Lally).
Sightings
- 193010 Jul
Archive photo: Innes at work
- 193025 Jul
Unveiled by the Mayoress
- 199712 Jun
Restored oak unveiled
- 199719 Dec
Grade II listed
- 200421 Jul
Commons photo, camera date
- 201123 Oct
Flickr photo, on Commons
- 201414 Jun
Geograph photo, on Commons
- 202119 Oct
Commons photo (our photo)
- 202623 Jan
Geograph photo, plaque read
- 20263 Jun
Royal Parks: restored
- 20263 Jun
Londonist reports repairs
Every stamp links to the dated source. Green stamps are dated photos of the oak: an archive photo of Ivor Innes at work on 10 July 1930 on The Royal Parks’ history page, and photos by Lonpicman (2004, camera date only), Garry Knight (2011, via Flickr), David Lally for Geograph (2014), Ethan Doyle White (2021, the photo at the top of this page) and Thomas Nugent for Geograph (23 January 2026), all on Wikimedia Commons or Geograph. Thomas Nugent also transcribed the plaques on the cage. Amber stamps are dated records and reports: the 1930 unveiling and the 1997 rededication as told by The Royal Parks, the Historic England listing, and the Royal Parks press release and Londonist article of 3 June 2026 on the finished repairs. The newest evidence is the Royal Parks press release of 3 June 2026, which carries the charity’s own photos of the restored figures and the altered cage; we found no later photo with a recorded taken-date.
On the record
Elfin Oak, list entry 1376784
“Sculpture, 1928-1930, by Ivor Innes.”
The official list entry continues: “Free-standing gnarled oak tree stump covered with representations of animals, elves and fairies,” with the figures “mostly carved from the oak, some believed to be plaster, all painted (and over-painted).” Grade II.
The Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens gets a sprinkle of magic
“Kensington Gardens is one of the most magical parks for children and part of its appeal is the Elfin Oak, where elves, witches and owls inhabit a secret world. We are delighted to help restore this much-loved treasure back to its former glory.”
Andy Williams, Park Manager for Kensington Gardens, on the 2026 repairs by DBR Conservation, jointly funded by The Royal Parks charity and the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
Elfin Oak: Magical London Tree Restored To Former Glory
“It was in 1928 when the hollow stump of a 900-year-old oak tree was moved from Richmond Park to Kensington Gardens, […]”
By Will Noble. The article goes on to the unveiling in July 1930 and Spike Milligan’s two campaigns, and places the oak by the entrance to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground.
The facts
- Artist
- Ivor Innes, a Scottish artist and children’s book illustrator (Historic England, The Royal Parks, Royal Parks press release, Londonist) Checked
- Title
- “Elfin Oak” in the list entry; “The Elfin Oak” in Royal Parks texts (Historic England, The Royal Parks) Checked
- Unveiled
- 25 July 1930, by the Mayoress of Kensington (The Royal Parks, Royal Parks press release, Londonist) Checked
- Made
- Historic England dates it 1928–1930, and Londonist says the stump was moved from Richmond Park in 1928 (Historic England, Londonist). The Royal Parks’ history has the plan proposed in a letter of January 1930 and the carving taking five months (The Royal Parks). A plaque on the cage, as transcribed on Geograph, says “originally carved in 1911” (Geograph). We follow the official list entry, 1928–1930, because it is the statutory record Conflicting
- Place
- Kensington Gardens, London, by the entrance to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground (Historic England, The Royal Parks, Londonist) Checked
- Material
- A hollow oak stump brought from Richmond Park (The Royal Parks, Royal Parks press release, Londonist) Checked. The figures are mostly carved from the oak, some believed to be plaster, all painted, according to Historic England (Historic England) Reported
- Age of tree
- “800-year-old” according to The Royal Parks; “900-year-old” according to Londonist and the Geograph description (The Royal Parks, Londonist, Geograph). We lean to The Royal Parks’ 800 years, which draws on its own archive; Atlas Obscura also says almost 800 years (Atlas Obscura) Conflicting
- Listed
- Grade II, first listed 19 December 1997 (Historic England, Londonist) Checked
- Restorations
- Spike Milligan restored it from 1964, doing most of the work himself over two years (The Royal Parks, Royal Parks press release, Londonist) Checked. A second restoration, dated 1996 on the plaque, was unveiled by the then Prince Charles on 12 June 1997 (The Royal Parks, Geograph, plaque) Checked. In 2026 DBR Conservation repaired the figurines, funded by The Royal Parks charity and the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (The Royal Parks, Londonist, The Dirt) Checked
- Figures
- 97 figurines, including Wookey the witch, Huckleberry the gnome and Harebell the fairy, according to The Royal Parks (The Royal Parks) Reported
- Album cover
- David Gilmour was photographed in front of it for the inside cover of Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma (1969) (The Royal Parks, Royal Parks press release, Wikipedia) Checked
- Our photo
- Ethan Doyle White’s photo of 19 October 2021 shows the oak in its cage, still with the mesh lining that was removed in 2026 (Commons, The Royal Parks) Checked
- Status
- Seen June 2026: The Royal Parks announced the finished repairs on 3 June 2026 (The Royal Parks) Checked. Newest photo with a recorded taken-date: 23 January 2026 (Geograph, Thomas Nugent) Checked
Related
- On Street Art Utopia: When Tree Stumps Become Art (10 Photos) (11 October 2026), where the photo above appears as work no. 2.
- Historic England links the oak to the nearby Peter Pan statue by Sir George Frampton, listed Grade II*. The Royal Parks: Peter Pan statue
- Spike Milligan, Pink Floyd and the oak’s other famous visitors. Wikipedia
All sources (13)
This work
- Historic England: “Elfin Oak”, list entry 1376784, first listed 19 December 1997. Sculpture, 1928-1930, by Ivor Innes; Grade II.
- The Royal Parks: “The Elfin Oak”, 3 June 2026. History: Lady Fortescue’s letter, Richmond Park oak, unveiling on 25 July 1930, Spike Milligan, 1997.
- The Royal Parks: “The Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens gets a sprinkle of magic”, press release, 3 June 2026. 2026 repairs, 97 figurines, cage changes, location.
- Londonist: “Elfin Oak: Magical London Tree Restored To Former Glory”, Will Noble, 3 June 2026, updated 1 July 2026. 1928 move, 1930 unveiling, location.
- The Dirt: “Beloved Elfin Oak restored in Kensington Gardens”, 12 July 2026. Ivor Innes, July 1930, DBR Conservation.
- Atlas Obscura: “Elfin Oak”, 20 March 2020. Address, nearest gate and Tube station.
- Wikipedia: “Elfin Oak”, history, 1996 restoration, listing, Ummagumma.
Dated photos
- Commons: “KensingtonGardens-ElfinOak.jpg”, Lonpicman, camera date 21 July 2004.
- Commons: “Elfin Oak Detail.jpg”, Garry Knight, from Flickr, taken 23 October 2011.
- Commons: “The Elfin Oak – geograph.org.uk – 4027041”, David Lally for Geograph, taken 14 June 2014. Position used in the check-in guide.
- Commons: “Elfin Oak, Kensington Gardens.jpg”, Ethan Doyle White, taken 19 October 2021, CC BY-SA 4.0. The photo at the top of this page.
- Geograph: “Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens”, Thomas Nugent, taken 23 January 2026. Transcribes the plaques on the cage.
Context
- The Royal Parks: “Shrine of Youth: The Peter Pan Statue, Kensington Gardens”, the nearby statue named in the list entry.
Artwork File · Last checked 11 October 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files