The Beltingham Yews, Northumberland, One
of the most essential sites in the whole UK
by Paul Greenwood
In the serene churchyard of St. Cuthbert’s, Beltingham,
Northumberland, stand three notable yew trees. The church itself
however is both very beautiful and unique, being the finest example
of the 15th century Perpendicular style in the county. It was reported
in the Hexham Courant (Sat., 25th October, 1884) that the famous
Protestant Bishop of London, Nicolas Ridley, martyred in 1555,
may have been baptised here as he was born only a few miles away
(although another village called Dilston also make a strong claim
to this distinction) but is specifically commemorated in Beltingham
church by a 16th century marble stone near the vestry door asking
parishioners to pray for his soul. However, the article also mentions
another reason why the place is important by the comment ;
“The churchyard is remarkable for the presence of a yew tree
of venerable age and still bearing foliage”.
This male yew (see Gazetteer entry) stands to the north of the
church and is of particular significance and which the Parish Guide
states is;
“..…at least 900 years old according to reliable records.
It is still vigorous, although hollow and clamped with an iron band”.
In actual fact there are two iron bands as shown in the image below:
The ancient yew to the north of the church at Beltingham.
Photo © Paul Greenwood/Yew-Trees
Parish Records also state that a respected antiquarian society
reported to the Church Restoration Committee (after a visit in May
1883), that the main fabric of the building was of 15th cent. origin,
but with older parts dating to circa 1260. Given this conclusion
then the church was seemingly built in the shadow of a yew already
there - if the yew indeed has an origin at least 900 years ago.
Certainly it has all the visual characteristics of a particularly
ancient and regenerating yew tree. What is also of telling significance
in the report is the phrase :
“It is not outside the bounds of possibility that Cuthbert
preached at this spot. Another indication of the antiquity of the
site is the three (author’s italics) yews in the churchyard,
evidently many centuries in age, the one on the north side being
at least 900 years old according to reliable records”.
The other two, a male and female pairing, stand to the south and
south west of the church and are believed to be much younger than
the other. However a 19th century opinion that these trees are ‘many
centuries’ old (rather than a few) could well mean an estimate
of 400-500 years old then and with the possibility of being older.
In any event the three yews at Beltingham are clearly very significant
yew.
Given that these are comments from over a century ago, it indicates
an estimated age for the yew to the north of the church as before
950. Intriguingly, any earlier Christian building here in the Saxon
era (circa 450 - 950) is by ‘repute’ only according
to the Parish Guide and significantly the antiquarian report makes
no mention of one either. Recent investigations by Libby Scott and
assisted by Pam Grant (author of the Tynedale Tree Alphabet, Craftrite,
Haltwhistle - featuring yew) and carried out with the assistance
of local archaeological experts and historians have confirmed that
no investigation at Beltingham has ever found any trace of a church
fabric earlier than the present stone one. The best that can be
said is that if there was any earlier building here of, then it
would probably have been made with a wooden framework; but even
then is apparently none of the usual evidence, such as post holes.
So we must conclude for the time being that there was no Saxon church
here at all.
What does exist on site from the 7th century (circa 680), and noted
in the antiquarian society’s report, is the remaining shaft
of a Saxon cross, similar in design to the famous example found
at Ruthwell, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. As there are no indications
that this cross may have been brought from elsewhere and re-erected,
it clearly shows that Beltingham was recognised as a sacred site
in that era. Furthermore the actual shaft has the remains of two
Roman altars built into its base acting as plinths, which perhaps
would date this as a sacred site in the 2nd century when the Romans
arrived. Interestingly pre Christian Roman religion was Pagan and
particularly venerated the yew at the midwinter festival of Saturnalia
(which became Christmas) involving worship of the goddess Hecate.
It seems quite plain therefore that Romano - British and Saxon society
actually inherited a sacred place because, even before the arrival
of the Romans, there is evidence to support why Beltingham was a
centre for what can best be termed native British or ‘Druid’
activity.
The remains of a 7th cent. Saxon cross to the east of the church
with the yew to the north.
Photo © Paul Greenwood/Yew-Trees. All Rights Reserved.
This was alluded to as long ago as 1840 in The Rev John Hodgson’s
Northumberland - Newcastle Antiquarian Society, Part 2 Volume III,
p 335, when he wrote :
“Could it be proved that in British days, there was a druidical
grove here, the name might be derived from “bael tins”
which in Irish, means fire of the sun, or the month of May in which
large fires were made in honour of the sun’s return from the
vernal solstice to regenerate the earth?”.
It is worth mentioning that the Rev. Hodgson was Vicar of Hartburn,
(near Morpeth, Northumberland) where a notable yew thought to be
ancient was recorded by John Lowe in his book Yew - Trees of Great
Britain and Ireland, published in 1897. Hartburn was also the Knights’
Templar headquarters for the whole of the North of England and was
a place of pilgrimage in the Medieval and Middle Ages era, as some
sacred pools exist nearby at Longwitten with a tradition of curing
diseases of the eye. Northumbrian tradition also records the well
known folk tale that in the Middle Ages Guy, Earl of Warwick, ‘slew
a dragon’ there. As more is found out about the locations
of ancient yews it is being discovered that a surprising number
of churchyard sites associated with such myths and legends contain
ancient yew. Therefore the Rev Hodgson may have been well aware
of an ancient yew at Hartburn perhaps also occupying a spot of pre
Christian sanctity.
His speculation is therefore quite understandable and reasonably
considers a pre Roman era connection (i.e. before the latter 1st
century) which does suggest a reason why the site would be ‘sacred’
then; i.e. in the sense of a place where the passage of the seasons
and weather patterns were acutely observed (especially via astronomy)
- and thus a ‘temple’ or otherwise cultural focus of
learning. Hence, for example, crucial calendrical periods for planting
and harvest could be calculated, checked and signalled to the rest
of the surrounding society by the use of signal fires first kindled
here at precise moments of solar significance in the sky. The use
of this process as a long distance information transmitter is a
tradition as old as modern humanity itself, and was recently used
for celebration purposes in the Royal Golden Jubilee of 2003. Of
course the possession of such scientific knowledge made Druids in
their day as much ‘magicians’ within their society as
the scientific ‘magicians’ of our 21st century society
are today; whether involved in nuclear physics, space exploration
technology, or computer generated virtual imaging in the cinema;
where the latter’s visual achievements are often described
as being ‘magical’.
It is an increasingly well-known fact today that ‘Druid groves’
were remarkable centres of scientific learning, justice, tribal
administration, artistic expression in prose and music, and therefore
focuses of spiritual teaching and inspiration. For a considerable
period up to the 11th century many north western European royal
and aristocratic families such as the Frankish Carolingians sent
their children to be educated at the ‘university’ of
Slane, near modern Dublin in Ireland. Throughout the Dark Ages era
history records Ireland as a beacon of light and learning in the
West. In particular, Irish and British Druid influenced society
had, over the course of millennia of study, gleaned quite outstanding
levels of insight and knowledge into natural sciences; for example
of solar, planetary and stellar cycles and rhythms. Any henge or
similar stone monuments surviving today are testaments to this by
the modern recognition of the ancient functions they carried out
with astonishing levels of accuracy, e.g. in the prediction of eclipses
and tracking those traditional harbingers of ill luck and pestilence,
comets. The heliocentric principle of this solar system where everything
orbits the sun was therefore known in ancient Britain (and, in fact,
all over the planet) at least 1500 years before Copernicus reintroduced
it to Western Europe. It is well recorded that some of the greatest
minds of ancient Greece such as Pythagoras were often in discussion
with ‘sages’ from Britain and that both later classical
Greek and Roman commentators and historians up until the first centuries
of this era and later, credited Druids (or the “white robed
philosophers”) with the actual ‘invention’ of
philosophy.
It is often quoted nowadays that the Fortingall Yew, Tayside, Scotland
(see Gazetteer for details) is over 2000 years old and, despite
a lack of empirical scientific evidence so far, may be as much as
5000 - 6000 years old, due to its huge size of over 50 ft (15 m
approx.) girth. In addition to these claims for a great age, however,
it has another significance in that it stands in a place considered
to be ‘at the centre’ of Scotland. Whilst this may not
be exactly the case today given Scotland’s modern north-south
boundaries, there are correlations between Fortingall and the centre
of the east -west margins of the country which are both bordered
by sea. This claim was mentioned in The Sacred Yew (Chetan and Brueton,
Penguin Arkana, 1994) and as recently as 2003 in Heritage Trees
of Scotland (Rodger, Stokes and Ogilvie, Tree Council). Examination
of the geography of Scotland certainly bears this out.
Buchan Ness on the North Sea coast of north eastern Scotland, (just
south of Peterhead) and the Ardnamurchan peninsula (north of the
isle of Mull) on the western Atlantic seaboard, are the limits of
the Scottish mainland; and Fortingall stands very close to the mid
point. Furthermore, an east - west axis through Fortingall itself
shows it to be at the centre of the mainland south of the Great
Glen, the great geological fault running north east from Fort William
to Inverness, containing Loch Ness. The lands north and west of
the fault are actually parts of islands which drifted eastwards
across the Atlantic from modern Nova Scotia in Canada about 500
million years ago, and collided with the lands now to the south
and east. This south eastern area however is itself bordered to
the east by the North Sea between Arbroath and Montrose, and to
the west between Appin and Duror upon Loch Linnhe, which is a sea
loch to the south of Fort William which connects it to the Sound
of Mull and beyond to the Atlantic Ocean..
Hence the mainland of Scotland’s east -west land margins,
and also Fortingall¹s specific east-west axis, do indeed mark
a ‘centre’ of Scotland existing in this locality. Further
traditional evidence perhaps is that Fortingall stands at the foot
of Schiehallion, the most sacred mountain of the Pictish people.
Throughout human cultures world-wide either natural mounds, hills
or mountains, (or man made replicas such as pyramids and stepped
temples) occupy the sacred centres of territories. The mountain’s
name is said to mean the “fairy hill of the Caledonians”,
i.e. the people of the great northern wildwood of Celyddon, who
ruled mainland Scotland (known as Alba - the ‘white land’)
until its unification with the south western regions of Irish- Scottic
Dalriada (modern Argyll and Lorne) under King Kenneth mac Alpin
in the 9th century.
Significantly the east - west axis of Fortingall is the direction
of the passage of the sun in the sky and therefore it is easy to
see that the centre of such an axis within a tribal territory, or
greater confederation of society with a central figure such as a
High King or Queen, would be important to Druids at least from a
solar scientific perspective, and probably also a place of royal
investiture. Moreover, and recorded as still occurring into Victorian
times, was the use of the Fortingall Yew for kindling sacred fires
at summer’s end; the ancient festival of Samhain . This is
better known in the Christian Gregorian calendar as Halloween and
All Souls (from October 31st to November 2nd) and the sacred yew-fire
was the basis of purification and fertility rituals by the use of
faggots being taken from it into the surrounding fields.
Fortingall is a place of ancient sanctity indeed, traceable to
the Neolithic era and featuring a wealth of archaeological evidence
especially via the feature on site known as the “Mound of
the Dead”. This is also a salutary example of yew being planted
long ago on the sacred mounds which are a proven feature at many
prehistoric burial sites, many of which in turn became enclosed
as churchyards, Fortingall itself being proof. It also has a claim
to possessing certainly the oldest tree, never mind yew, in Britain
and can also claim to possess the oldest tree in Europe. But what
has this all got to do with Beltingham? And the answer is - maybe
everything.
Only in recent years has the ‘magic’ of satellite mapping
technology revealed that the nearest town to the exact geographical
centre of the U.K. mainland is Haltwhistle, a few miles west of
Beltingham. However Beltingham is the mother parish of the area,
and so within the very parish at the centre of all Britain stands
a yew tree thought to be at least 900 years old, and another pair
who are certainly “many” (some sources say “several”)
centuries old - and may therefore perhaps even be ancient yew themselves.
It is beyond the scope of this article at present to explore the
full picture being revealed concerning the three notable yews at
Beltingham, as further investigations are scheduled to be carried
out during 2006. including seeking permission for dendrological
and DNA analysis. Therefore this will be covered in an expansion
of this article at a future date. |
The bizarre appearance of the yew to the south of the church. The
cause of this damage is not known but despite appearances this hollow
yew is healthy. Photo © Paul Greenwood/Yew-Trees. All Rights
Reserved. |
The yew to the south west of the church. Different again in appearance
with a cluster of epicormic growth, cause unknown. Photo © Paul
Greenwood/Yew- Trees. All Rights Reserved. |
| A link with Fortingall and Beltingham
is therefore very apparent - the yew acting as an axis mundi and
around which ‘all life revolves’ in that the yew acts
as a ‘centre’ for the culture around it. After enclosure
of these sacred sites on which churches were later to be built,
it is a common description of rural village life for centuries afterwards
that it ‘centred’ or ‘revolved’ (as so many
still do) around the Christian calendar celebrating what were ancient
Pagan seasonal festivals such as May Day, the ancient festival of
Beltane or Beltain and the first day of summer. Unless Beltingham
can be absolutely proven to be named after a Saxon or Romano- British
person (or whoever) rather than Beltane, there is clear evidence
to suggest that in being at a proven geographical ‘centre’
- and also standing on a mound above the North Tyne - that the site
was utilised for a seasonal fire festival as was Fortingall, and
also perhaps to specifically calculate and announce summer’s
beginning to the surrounding countryside. But what else is there
at Beltingham which would support why it would be important in the
British Druid era as a fixed seasonal observational centre? Why
would one have to be there, and not elsewhere? And to answer this
is perhaps the most astonishing piece of evidence supporting Beltingham
as an exceptionally important place during those far off times.
And why today it should perhaps receive greater recognition.
Upon planet Earth it is only at the latitudes of 55 degrees North
or South of the equator that a solar phenomenon can be observed
called the ‘Square Solar Year’. This means that if someone
is stood facing south (or in any cardinal direction) then the points
of the midwinter and midsummer sunrises and sunsets form a perfect
square within the circle of the surrounding horizon. Beltingham
stands at the southern limit of this latitude and, by also being
at the centre of mainland Britain, then it shows firm evidence to
suggest why the location would have been of inestimable interest
to the solar science of the Druids and hence supports the Rev. Hodgson¹s
postulation. It is only the latest 21st century science, some century
and a half later after his comment which has inadvertently given
some credence to his musing, and which suggests that those who came
after any possible Druid presence at the sacred place of Beltingham
continued to hold the place in high esteem. Furthermore, that the
Saxons inherited an ancient British place name and did not change
the sound of it but simply added their own suffix; the ‘ham’,
the ‘place’ of Beltane. But there is perhaps more to
the connection with Beltane; and it is that the ancient British
terms bile/ bhile and tann also mean a ‘sacred tree’
and ‘red’ respectively. As the above image shows, the
well known yew at Beltingham is also a noticeably red tree. So there
is even more to suggest the tantalising idea that the Rev. Hodgson¹s
insight was right - and that the main yew at Beltingham may well
indeed be considerably older than 900 years.
As seen at the beginning of this article it is thought that St.
Cuthbert may have preached here in the middle of the Saxon era 1300
years ago. What he could not have done was preached in a church
(as archaeology - or rather a lack of it - seems to confirm) because
Cuthbert was a Celtic Christian schooled in the original Columban
tradition based on the Hebridean island of Iona in Scotland. This
model followed the Druid principle of worship in the open air and
therefore often utilised yew for practical reasons of shade and
shelter necessary for preaching and as a private, personal retreat
for times of deep contemplation and meditation. St. Columba himself
did so under the Great Yew of Bernera in the 6th century (see Articles
page - St. Columba¹s Yew, Bernera for details), as have many
multi denominational Christian preachers since; such as Wishart,
Fox, and Knox as late as the 16th and 17th centuries. The question
is, therefore, was there a yew on site of sufficient size for Cuthbert’s
purposes? If there was, then how old was it in his day? Before that
period there is the archaeological evidence in the cross shaft to
suggest that the site was indeed perhaps utilised for Pagan Roman
worship. The crucial factor here is that Pagan Roman religion was
also essentially Sun centred as Emperor Constantine himself, who
codified Roman Catholic Christianity in the 4th century, was a worshipper
of the Sol Invictus cult, which means “The Unconquerable Sun”.
Hence when the Romans arrived at Beltingham they could have found
something of immense spiritual and religious importance to their
very own Pagan religious culture. Therefore they are most likely
to have been assimilated into the inherent sanctity of the place
because of precisely where it is, and seemingly a location where
the arrival of summer could be calculated with exact precision;
and furthermore like nowhere else south of the Tyne valley on the
UK mainland, or north of the southern shores Clyde and Forth; which
is where the latitude of 55 degrees North ends. Was it therefore
announced to the rest of the land with a fire signal? Something
the Romans had themselves long mastered for military rather than
sacred purposes, and so the Druid fire festival tradition would
not have been some strange practice to them. Then when the Romans
withdrew, the period of Saxon or Romano-British influence which
followed would have the knowledge that ah throughout the earlier
centuries Beltingham was really special, a unique - perhaps vital
- place.
As it seems that the Saxons did not build a church, they did erect
a cross based on a Sun Wheel design. Hence the themes of fire and
the sun are found throughout Beltingham’s history, as at Fortingall,
and long before any Christian church was erected on site. Perhaps
this is what attracted Cuthbert because he was of a Christian persuasion
which inherited much of the original Druid tradition developed in
Ireland, which itself was influenced by Egyptian and Middle Eastern
traditions such as the Egyptian style interlace patterns from the
7th century ‘Book of Durrow’ and on the stone of the
North Cross at Ahenny, Co. Tipperary. And that ancient wisdom tradition
was centred not only upon the sun, but so far as trees go, it was
centred upon the yew. Therefore, do the two go hand in hand at Beltingham?
Was a yew planted here by Druids, or their equivalent? Or were yew
found naturally growing upon a mound at such a coincidental location?
It was also not only in life that Cuthbert is associated with Beltingham
because long after his death and burial on Lindisfarne his body
was disinterred in the wake of Viking raids. The story of its journey
to eventual enshrinement at Durham cathedral in north east England
(built on a steep mound above the river Wear) at what has become
a world famous sacred site, is well documented elsewhere. However,
upon that long journey it rested for some years at Beltingham, therefore
implying that Beltingham was a sacred sanctuary of sorts. A trusted
site? Perhaps particularly ‘protected by God’ for some
reason? But at the time it seems there was no building to offer
any sanctuary. So what could have? Is it too much to speculate that
the yew might have provided sanctuary of some sort?
Certainly, as The Sacred Yew cites (amongst many other records
confirming the phenomenon) there are many instances of hollow yews
being used for hiding all manner of unwanted rubbish, but also other
things more precious; including people not only hiding in yew, but
holy people and hermits using them as homes - even itinerant families
actually living in them. But a yew does not have to be hollow to
provide shelter, as a yew canopy can provide it to the extent “equivalent
to a thatched roof” as mentioned in the historical records
relating the establishment of Fountains Abbey by Cistercian monks
in the 12th century. They used a grove of yew as home (and presumably
chapel) throughout any seasons the ‘remote and uncouth wilderness’
could throw at them, and survived to found one of Britain’s
most magnificent monastic sites.
Many biographies of Cuthbert affirm that he was famous in his day
for living his life in extreme circumstances of self induced deprivation
and mortification and thereby seeking to be as close to Nature,
and thus God’s Creation, as possible. Some of his measures
included fasting to the point of serious starvation and standing
in the icy waters of the North Sea up to his neck for hours whilst
singing and chanting psalms with a broad smile upon his face. Therefore
if there was an extant yew at Beltingham in his day (and a tree
perhaps already 700 years old if its origin is in the pre Roman
period) at least then if he visited he could well have found it
an ideal temporary home - but also perhaps a personal oratory as
well, as Columba did under the yew on Bernera.
However there is no historical evidence revealed by published research
so far which specifically records a date for this particular yew
other than that in the Parish Records. Hence it is a matter of conjecture
as to how old prior to 950 it may be, (if it is) and whether indeed
it ever met Cuthbert or any of his Saxon, Romano- British or Druid
era spiritual predecessors. Dating the tree at around 1300 years
and planted as a tribute in the Saxon era to Cuthbert in life (or
perhaps as a memorial to his body being there) is another feasible
and quite reasonable option to consider. Although the appearance
of the tree itself suggests that it could be very ancient indeed
its relatively small girth would probably preclude it from living
up to the claim in the Parish Guide which states “It is said
that the yews are probably the oldest in the country” (author’s
emphasis) i.e. the oldest in England. But once having conquered
what was already Saxon Northumbria and then the Britons of Cumbria
and Strathclyde by the 10th century, to the Angles (who give their
name to England via Angle-land) Beltingham could have maintained
a long upheld reputation with them as a sacred centre of solar worship.
That is if it was an ancient British site concerning Beltane - and
therefore an extant sacred/scientific and spiritual centre in the
new ‘Angle-land’ stretching north from the Humber and
Trent to the Clyde and Forth isthmus. So it may have been a geographically
approximate, or even simply symbolic, ‘centre’ in this
regard in the genesis of a greater territory of which, following
expansion, the geographical centre has no longer remained in what
have now become the extreme northern margins of later Saxon England
and the southern borders of modern Scotland.
Leaving aside the debate whether or not the yew is ‘the’
oldest in England, it is surely fair to say that it could be one
of the oldest so far identified. If it has an age of 2000 years
plus and was indeed a Druid grove, then it definitely would be.
However given Beltingham’s history, and the other two equally
significant yew (in that they occupy the same sacred enclosure)
then it must at least be one of the most essential yew sites in
the U.K., and clearly deserving special consideration, preservation
and protection based on the evidence so far.
Dendrological analysis has been considered upon the main yew but
would probably prove to be fruitless as the tree is obviously within
a period of substantial regeneration. The trunk has fully hollowed
long ago and is a mixture of ancient decaying heartwood and sapwood
in the interior but the whole outer shell is being wrapped in fresh
flows of sapwood and bark. Eventually the aperture into the hollow
will disappear and the yew will look solid again, with no idea to
the naked eye of the future that what is there is a completely regenerated
trunk. The vitality of this regeneration can be seen by the amount
the yew has gradually overgrown the iron bands since they were fitted
approximately 50 years ago or so.
In the summer of 2005 concerned local cherishers of this yew, led
by Libby Scott and including Pam Grant and others, contacted the
Conservation Foundation wondering whether or not the new growth
beginning to subsume the iron bands, and thus being absorbed into
the fabric of the tree, was a cause for worry. Furthermore whether
any remedial tree surgery or other treatment would be necessary
to improve the situation as the lower band is at its limit of compass.
This in itself was a worry due to potential costs being met by the
Parish Council, and whether or not insurance premiums were also
a factor affecting health and safety at the site.
After the Conservation Foundation swiftly referred the matter for
further consultation, the consensus of opinion given to those concerned
was that the yew will come to, and cause, no harm by being left
entirely alone; as yew are proven to absorb all manner of debris
and detritus into their trunks as they grow including stones, rocks
and many man-made iron implements. They show, in almost all instances,
that over time they cause no harm to the vigour of the yew concerned,
as flower and aril yields to be seen on these trees year after year
can testify. As the decay of iron takes centuries it is at an ideal
pace for the yew to match as the forged metal reverts into the natural
ore of iron oxide, meaning that any potential voids left by the
iron are continually being filled by the yew at the rate they happen. |
 |
 |
| Fig 6 (left) shows the
yew growth around the upper band and how attempts have been made to
prevent the bands chafing the bark. Fig 7 (right) shows bark and wood
beginning to over grow the lower band. Photos © Paul Greenwood.
All Rights Reserved. |
Full consideration and examination
of the options available meant that those concerned were relieved
to be able to choose to leave the yew alone; not merely to save
money; but that it was the best decision for them to take based
on knowledgeable opinion. More to the point it was in the best interests
of this particular one of their three beloved yew trees in Beltingham’s
churchyard. A truly ancient sacred place it would appear, whatever
the ages of the yews there today.
As to whether an exact age for the most famous yew at Beltingham
will ever be successfully determined, without a document turning
up or scientific advancements in dating yew tree wood, then it may
remain forever unknown. But even if that is the case there is no
doubt that a yew considered by reliable records to be over 900 years
old is a priceless treasure; not only in the botanical sense, but
also taking into account Beltingham’s known history as well
as the possibilities outlined in the evidence presented above. It
is certainly a site of considerable potential for further research
which might reveal more about some of what appear to be certainly
amongst the most notable and sacred yews in England and probably
within the whole of the UK. These three yews, with continued care
and respect, could still be standing for the next millennium of
human generations to marvel at....but most of all, hopefully, for
them to cherish too; and to the same extent as they are now by the
people who have, and do, respect their presence as being intrinsic
to the extraordinarily special place which Beltingham is.
Reference Sources
A Natural History of Britain presented by Alan Titchmarsh,
BBC 1 - Radio Times press release, October, 2004, quoting Fortingall
Yew as 6000 years old.
Historic Sites of Northumberland - Glen Lyndon Dodds,
Albion Press, 2000.
New Shell Guide to Scotland - Ed. Donald Lamond Macnie
and Moray McLaren, Ebury Press, London, New Edition, 1977.
Parish Guide to St Cuthbert¹s Beltingham - local
leaflet available by donation in the church.
Parish Records, Beltingham - Parish Records Office,
Meldon Park, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne.
The Atlantis Blueprint - Colin Wilson and Rand Flem
- Ath, Stoddart, 2000. Details of the importance of lat. 55 degrees
N. and the Square Solar Year.
The Messianic Legacy - Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh
and Henry Lincoln, Jonathan Cape, 1991 reprint. Plates 10 - 17
show Egyptian and Middle Eastern influence in Irish Christianity
in the Dark Ages era from the 7th - 12th centuries.
The Shadow of Solomon - Laurence Gardner, Thorsons Element,
2005. Details of the sophistication of Druid astronomical science.
See also works by Philip Carr-Gomm.
Additional references
Pam Grant with the assistance of Libby Scott - personal
correspondence.
Chris Jackson - Writer, Presenter and Producer, Inside Out, BBC
NE and Cumbria - programme research discovered in the making of
an episode broadcast on 13th September 2004 featuring the Beltingham
yew, others of the region, and the work of the author.
Allen Meredith - personal correspondence.
Libby Symon - Conservation Foundation, London.
Copyright © Paul Greenwood/Yew-Trees. All Rights Reserved.
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