East Lawn, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2JB
The Fossil Tree
Museum & collection
Place photograph
2.8
Wildland
Under 1 hour
Time
Check
Cost
Distinctive
Feel
Why it's Wildland
2.8A tree that lived around 330 million years ago now stands six metres tall on the Natural History Museum’s East Lawn. Unearthed deep below a Scottish quarry, this petrified fossil has been part of the museum’s collection since 1873—and survived an air-raid bomb in 1940.
A focused encounter with deep time rather than a wild landscape: the Fossil Tree is an extraordinary, full-scale Carboniferous plant fossil with a very human story of discovery, display and wartime damage.
Distinctive
Find your way
Open mapEast Lawn, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2JB
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
See the six-metre fossilised trunk on the Natural History Museum’s East Lawn and look closely at its stone-preserved form. The official museum account traces its Scottish origins, long display history and 1940 bomb damage.
Things to do
See the fossil tree on the East Lawn
Visit the museum’s Evolution Garden to see the six-metre section of the fossilised trunk on display.
Under 1 hour
Trace its journey from Craigleith Quarry
The museum reports that the tree was uncovered in 1873 at Craigleith Quarry, around 56 metres below the surface, and became part of its collection that year.
Look for the story in the broken sections
The fossil was knocked down and broken into several pieces by an air-raid bomb in November 1940. The museum’s account explains that the large pieces were later assembled upright.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Under 1 hour
Meet a Carboniferous giant
- 01
Check the Natural History Museum’s current access information before visiting.
- 02
Find the fossil tree on the East Lawn in the museum’s Evolution Garden.
- 03
Take time to look at the upright trunk and imagine its original fern-like crown.
Verified history
The specimen is a fossil of Pitys withamii, a seed fern from the Carboniferous Period, around 330 million years ago. It was found in Craigleith Quarry near Edinburgh in 1873 and has been part of the Natural History Museum’s collection since that year. The tree was stood upright in 1887; in November 1940 an air-raid bomb knocked it down and broke it into several pieces. The section now displayed is six metres tall. The museum says the trunk was moved to its current position on the East Lawn, probably in the 1970s, during construction of the Palaeontology wing.
Hidden details
A seed fern, not a modern-style tree — The specimen was once thought to be an ancient conifer. The museum identifies it as Pitys withamii, an extinct seed fern that would have carried large, fern-like fronds.
Stone that preserves a tree’s shape — The wood was petrified as minerals replaced organic material while retaining the plant’s original form and structure. The museum says iron and calcium carbonates contributed to the process.
When to go
· No particular time is established by the supplied source; check current museum access information.
The supplied source does not identify a seasonal viewing advantage.
The fossil is displayed outdoors, so it is exposed to the elements. Check the museum’s current visitor information and consider the weather before visiting.
What to look for
Look for the upright trunk and its assembled fossil sections. The museum explains that the specimen arrived in six large pieces with smaller fragments, and that an air raid bomb knocked it down and broke it in 1940.
The story
Science, Archaeology
Best time to go
Any time the museum’s garden is accessible; no season-specific advantage is established by the supplied source.
No particular time of day is supported by the supplied information. Check the museum’s current garden access arrangements before setting out.
How long to spend
Under 1 hour
Perfect for
History lovers
Before you go
Address
Website
Listed hours
- Monday: 10am-5:50pm
- Tuesday: 10am-5:50pm
- Wednesday: 10am-5:50pm
- Thursday: 10am-5:50pm
- Friday: 10am-5:50pm
- Saturday: 10am-5:50pm
- Sunday: 10am-5:50pm
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
The Natural History Museum identifies the fossil tree as an outdoor exhibit in its Evolution Garden. Check the museum’s current visitor information before travelling; access arrangements and opening details are not confirmed here. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
Check before visiting
Parking
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Food & drink
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Dogs
Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Accessibility
The source row reports a wheelchair-accessible entrance, but does not establish the route to or surface around the exhibit. Check current access details with the museum.
Check before visiting
Cost
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around The Fossil Tree
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
