Artists are helping to preserve one of the largest and oldest plane trees in the United Kingdom, believed to have been a gift from the King to the Bishop of Ely over 300 years ago.

Around 90 creatives have created works based on the tree in the gardens of King’s School in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Their work will be shown at an exhibition next month to raise the £60,000 needed for work to protect the tree.

Painter Rachel Constantine said she has maps of ancient woodlands in Britain and is trying to find the oldest trees, but she has “never seen anything like this… it’s unbelievable”.

David Day, chairman of the board of directors of the school, which took over care of the tree in 2012, organized an event to protect the historic tree.

“People’s reactions to it and the devotion they have for this tree is really captivating,” he told BBC Look East.

“I am full of enthusiasm and determined to ensure that we do the right thing for the tree and preserve it for future generations.”

The tree was probably planted when it was ten years old in 1674. Day said it had a strong tradition and “a direct emotional impact on people.”

Painter and sculptor Claire Valentine-Gibson travelled from Staffordshire to attend the event and see the “very special tree”.

She said it was about “transporting the spirit from the mundane to the magical, and trees play a big role for me because of their many branches and mysterious nature.”

The tree’s original cable support needs to be replaced with a more modern support to allow it to move naturally and improve its inherent strength.

The University of Cambridge has also installed monitoring devices on the tree.

Mr Day said the tree was not in danger of falling over, but like many trees of its age, it would require human intervention to maintain its stability.