Terry,
We are very fortunate, it is neither! The oak of Britain is quercus robur, whereas yours are Quercia alba (white oak) or Quercia rubra (red). White oak is a lot more brittle than european oak and is not as interesting. European oak is frequently known by the country in which it is grown as regional differences can influence the wood, for instance the beefsteak fungus in English oak can affect an open wound from a fallen branch and can cause what is known as brown oak, or tiger oak which is the stripy effect as the tree turns finally to brown oak. It is a beautiful colour. The wood is our national wood as it was used fairly extensively when we had to build fleets of ships to repel the French heathens and pummel the Spanish hoardes in and around 1588! Hence the title of the March of the Royal Navy, Hearts of Oak.
