In Ely Cathedral currently there is a large table, which is being installed in the north aisle of the nave. It is currently covered over but will be revealed next week.
The story of the table, from discovery of the oak in a field, to the finished table is told on the website which can be linked to below.
Bog oaks are occasionally found in the peat, excavated by farmers. The one used to make the table is over 13 metres long and over 5000 years old. It has space for 50 people.
One of the interesting aspects of the project was the extent to which the wood shrank as it dried out, and the amount of water that came out of the wood.
Holme Fen is a location where the shrinkage of the Fen as it dries out can be fully appreciated as a post was driven into the ground. Here's some of my photos of the posts taken on a visit some years ago:
Images: Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license
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