Elfin Oak - Kensington Gardens, London, UK - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

Wikipedia has an article about the Elfin Oak that tells us:

The Elfin Oak is the stump of a 900-year-old oak tree in Kensington Gardens in London, carved and painted to look as though elves, gnomes and small animals are living in its bark.

The hollow, donated by Lady Fortescue, originally came from Richmond Park, and was moved to Kensington Gardens in 1928 as part of George Lansbury's scheme of public improvements in London. Over the next two years the illustrator Ivor Innes carved the figures of the "Little People" into it. 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.

Innes also illustrated a 1930 children's book written by his wife Elsie and based on the Elfin Oak. 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 of Pink Floyd's 1969 album Ummagumma features a picture of David Gilmour in front of the Elfin Oak.

The comedian Spike Milligan was a lifelong fan of the Oak, and in 1966 he led a successful campaign to have it restored. In December 1997 Heritage Minister Tony Banks declared it a Grade II listed structure.

The tree is Grade II listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:

Sculpture, 1928-1930, by Ivor Innes. Free-standing gnarled oak tree stump covered with representations of animals, elves and fairies, mostly carved from the oak, some believed to be plaster, all painted (and over-painted). The sculpture depicts the world of Little People (Wookey the witch, Hucklebury the gnome, Grumples, Groodle and many more)' and is a rare and interesting representation in three-dimensional form of the contemporary fascination in the world of fairies, which culminated in J .M. Barriers Peter Pan, the statue of whom (by Sir George Frampton, listed grade II*) is complemented by the Elfin Oak. It is also an interesting example of George Lansbury's inter-war scheme of improvements of London's public amenities and of popular -public art of the period. The protective railings and shelter are not of special interest.

The inscription on the plaque, within the protective cage, tells us:

Elfin Oak

Originally carved in 1911 and maintained
for over 40 years by sculptor Ivor Innes

With grateful thanks also to Spike Milligan CBE and
his friends whose interest abd support enabled
complete restoration of the wee folk
1996

HRH The Prince of Wales unveiled this plaque
presented by the Elfin Oak Appeal Fund
12 June 1997