Frithsden Beeches is an ancient pocket of the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire. For more than a century the beech trees here have been left unpollarded, creating fantastically gnarled trunks and wide‑spreading limbs. The most famous specimen was a giant Queen Beech, estimated to be 350–400 years old and known locally as the ‘Harry Potter Tree’ because of its screen appearances. Although widely (and incorrectly) rumoured to be the Whomping Willow, the estate did serve as the backdrop for the Quidditch World Cup portkey scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Today the Queen Beech has split and lies across the forest floor, but the forest remains magical with twisted trunks and dappled light, offering visitors a glimpse of untouched English woodland.