The oak has been said to date to the era of the Norman Conquest or even early Roman times. It was already ancient when Alexander Hunter, in his 1776 edition of John Evelyn's "Sylva", wrote of it, "The dimensions are almost incredible... The foliage is extremely thin, so that the anatomy of the ancient branches may be distinctly seen in the height of summer. When compared to this, all other trees are but children of the forest". Cowthorpe's St Michael's Church was constructed nearby and a public house was named Ye Old Oak Inn after the tree. At its greatest extent its canopy was said to cover of land. In the early 19th century the tree was owned by Charles Stourton, 17th Baron Stourton and then The Honorable Mr Petre. The tree was sketched by J. M. W. Turner.