Our famous tree may be in more trouble than we know. A quick cycle across the back of the new path linking Hethersett and Wymondham will take you past the tree which is held up with the help of a wooden frame.
Now the Broads Authority and Norfolk County Council are hoping to give the tree a new lease of life by putting a charcoal based compound into the soil to try and revitalise it.
I don't think it's known just how old the oak is, but we do know it was where Robert Kett and his men met up before marching on Norwich in protest at the enclosure of land by the gentry. Kett was himself a landowner but he tore down his fences and then joined the revolution. And we know it didn't end well for him, but it did cement his place in history as a man of the people.
Sadly concrete may be an unfortunate word here as it is likely that there is some in Kett's Oak which has been voted one of the country's 50 greatest trees. Look at Kett's Oak and you may be somewhat underwhelmed. It could never be described as a beauty and without its significance in history would probably have been condemned and taken down many years ago.
There's even some doubt as to whether this was the actual tree where the men met. Of course this is all pretty irrelevant as Kett's Oak is symbolic and that's why it is hoped it will stand for another 500 years although I hate to think what kind of state it will be in by 2500!
Made a rare excursion into Norwich today. There was an item on the national news stating that city centres could be dying with more people working from home and online shopping on the increase. There were plenty of shoppers in Norwich, however. A kind of last throw of the shopping dice before the kids go back to school.
Sadly having to wear masks in shops makes everything uncomfortable enough and then there's confusion over how many people are allowed in shops. Some allow just two and others don't seem to bother at all. I refuse to queue up to get into a shop but that was the situation with a few including Primark.
We have just got back from Wales where it wasn't compulsory to wear face coverings in shops and many people didn't. Then we went to Liverpool where people wore masks in most shops but not in a shoe shop where nobody was wearing them.
On the way to playing tennis yesterday I passed a camera crew in Eaton Park, Norwich, and recognised Alex Dunlop from BBC TV. I regularly came across Alex when I was a press officer for Norfolk Constabulary.
He was interviewing a member of Norwich City Council as part of a series on local parks. When I watched the footage I realised just how special Eaton Park is. Of course it has a close connection with Hethersett as it was designed by Arnold Sandys-Winsch who lived in the village and who is buried along with his son Simon in St Remigius Churchyard (I have written at length about this in previous blogs).
Eaton Park has some intriguing architecture and vast play areas and one of the largest model boating lakes in Europe. If you live locally and haven't paid a visit pop along and enjoy tennis, crazy golf, a children's play area, a cycle speedway track, football and cricket pitches, a café, a skateboard/scooter park and much more.