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YEW - A HISTORY by Fred Hageneder

This 320 page book was published in May 2007 by Sutton Press. It was described in the press release as "The first book to cover all aspects of botany as well as the cultural history and mythology of the Yew. It is the remarkable story of the oldest living things in Europe and their endangered future".
Find out more about this momentous book by clicking on Yew:a History.

What's New - APRIL 2008

New sites have been visited and recorded at:
Gwydir Castle; Llanfairfechan; Llanrhychwyn; Llanrug - Tim Hills
Prestbury – Dean Loftus
Withyham - Five Hundred Acre Wood; Wych Cross - Southbank Wood – Steve Young

New photos have been added at:
Combe Raleigh – John Frampton

A Lost Yew is recorded at Maentwrog, where yet another of Wales’s ancient churchyard yews has been felled. When I visited in 1998 I documented 3 yews. The largest girthed was a three trunked specimen growing south of the church. At the time of the visit I observed that one of the trunks was dead, and for safety’s sake would probably need to be removed at some stage. The remaining two trunks were in excellent condition and I am yet to establish why it was decided to fell such an old tree.

What’s New – MARCH 2008

New sites have recorded at:
Whitwell – Rob Burrows
Throwley - Cliff Hansford/T.Hills
Adderley,  Chapel Chorlton,   Eyton,   Llansantffraed, Sedbergh -Tim Hills
Cooling – Owen Johnson
Midgham – Dave Kenny
Sprotborough Hall, Sprotborough-Pot Ridings Wood,   Thryft House Farm – Edwin Pretty

New photo has been added at Solihull

Lost Yews are recorded at Cawthorne – We are investigating the reason for the felling of healthy yews in Cawthorne churchyard, Barnsley.
We have also monitoring what is happening at Firsdown, near Salisbury, where a site of 20.76 Ha has been identified for possible housing development. The previous and current use of the site is clearly marked as Agricultural – arable, while it is clear that approximately 5Ha are woodland, including at least 2 stands of yew, one containing 100+ yews, the other approximately 60.

A series of slide talks was given by Fred Hageneder to publicise his book Yew:A History. These took place at St.Fagan’s National History Museam, Westonbirt Great Oak Hall, Wakehurst Place, Ridley Hall and the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum. The talks were supported by the Friends of the Trees, Ancient Yew Group, Tree Register of the British Isles, Conservation Foundation, National Museum of Wales, Sutton Publishing and Summerfield Books.

What’s New – FEBRUARY 2008

New sites have been recorded at:

Roscrea,   Shugborough – David Alderman
Woolbury Hill Fort – Rob Burrows
Lissan House - Declan Devlin/Peter Archdale
Woodston – Jon Parsons
Stoke Park Wood – Lyndsey Rowe
Irthing Gorge

New photos have been added at:
Hedsor – Graham Bradshaw
Llanwrthwl – Geoff Garlick and Russell Cleaver
Llanfeugan,   Llansantffraed-in-Elvel – Russell Cleaver
Creech St. Michael – James E.Cole and Tim Hills
Broadwindsor - Mark Hinsley
Buchanan Castle – Iona Hyde
Ufton Nervet – Dave Kenny
Kentchurch Deer Park,   Llanbadarn Fawr – John Scudamore

Lost Yews are recorded at:
Catherington – Robert Burrows
Cruxton Castle- Tim Hills
Church Knowle,   Fontmell Magna,   Litton Cheney,   Manston – Mark Hinsley

What’s New – JANUARY 2008

RAIDERS of the LOST BARK is the title given to an article in the Daily Telegraph on 29th December 2007. Written by James Douglas, it reports on the group fighting save Britain’s venerable yew trees-a heritage for the world.
We are seeking permission to reproduce the full article on our web site, but for the time being it can be accessed at Telegraph on-line, by typing Raiders of the lost bark into the Search box. Alternatively try the following:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=PRJLFWM0DCLQBQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/earth/2008/01/16/eayew116.xml

New sites have been visited and recorded at:
Solihull – John Banister
Llangiwg – Robert Burrows
Gortinure – Declan Devlin
Haselor,   Hatton,   Newnham Paddox Art Park,   Shuckburgh Hall,   Upton House,   Wixford - Steven Falk
Roecliffe – Den Gregson
Fonthill Estate – Tim Hills
Kirk Bramwith – Colin Howes
Mobberley – Dean Loftus
Maxey – Jon Parsons
Siddington – Peter Turner
Ockham – Peter Young

New photos have been added at:
Astbury, Capel (Kent),   Church Preen,   Hope Bagot,   Hurstbourne Priors,   Hambledon (Surrey),   Kenn,   Loose,   Long Sutton,   Woolbeding – Ian Robert Brown

Lost Yews are recorded at:
Whittington Rectory - Edward Parry
Denton,   East Stout,   West Stour – Tim Hills
Compton Abbas – Mark Hinsley
Northenden – Dean Loftus

Does anybody know what it is?

Cliff Hansford has photographed this "fluid of some kind weeping from a very healthy yew.
The picture shows what looks like a kind of fungi or a form of algae, something like that featured in Yew-A History(page 27 picture 5.9) by Fred Hageneder."
He asks whether anybody has seen anything like it and if it poses a threat to the yew.
Contact Cliff at chansford@blueyonder.co.uk

THREATENED FELLING of YEW at CHIDDINGFOLD CHURCHYARD (Latest information September 2007)

November 2006: It is proposed that the only yew growing in Chiddingfold churchyard be felled to make way for a church extension that will create a much needed community facility. The yew in question can be seen on our Yew Gazetteer page by scrolling down to Chiddingfold.

The Ancient Yew Group’s concern in this case is that the initial planning and design considerations appear to have been carried out without due consideration of the trees that would be destroyed in the process. The yew in question should benefit from three layers of protection:

Yet it seems that these count for nothing. The Planning Officers’ recommendation that planning permission be refused was overturned by Waverley Borough Council members.

Since this is contrary to local plan policy and within the setting of a listed building it has been referred to the Government Office for the South East for the final decision. It is hoped that they are aware of the significance of their decision.

December 2006: The Government Office for the South East informed all parties concerned that the Secretary of State would not be calling in this planning application but would leave it to the local planning authority since “Parliament had entrusted them with the responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas” and that they “are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas”. It was further added that the issues raised did not “relate to matters of more than local importance”.

January 2007: The petitioners of the faculty which will allow the proposed church room to be built and the yew to be felled are likely to be the Rector and Churchwardens of St Mary’s, Chiddingfold, and I was given permission by The Bishop of Guildford’s Registry to notify them of my objections to the felling.

I am informed, however, that all the correct procedures have been adhered to and that there is no alternative site where the proposed church hall could be built. This would suggest the likelihood of a faculty being granted and so the only way the yew might be saved is if it is moved to a new site.

September 2007 The faculty has now been granted for the work to go ahead in the near future. This will necessitate felling of the yew. A fuller account of the judgement will be prepared later this autumn.

How you can support this web site

Contribute to the web site. Send us latest information or archive material about old yews you have visited.

If you have seen or written a yew related item that might be of interest we could consider publication on our Articles page. All work that appears on this web site is protected as far as possible from misuse, but contributors need to be aware that there is always a small risk of submitted work appearing elsewhere. Should this arise we would not be able to provide funds to seek legal redress but would of course give our written support.

Report yews that do not appear in the Gazetteer, whether in churchyard, woodland, hedgerow, parkland or private estate. There is always a chance that you have discovered a significant undocumented ancient yew.

Many of the yews documented in the gazetteer have not been seen for several years. If you visit a site and would like to send us brief details of the tree's appearance or state of health, your up to date observations can be added to our data base and would appear in the Gazetteer.

Please let us know if you discover inaccuracies in any part of the web site.

If you live near to a documented yew site you might consider nominating yourself to send us a brief report on a regular basis (every 6 months or so). We would like eventually to have a named person to report on every ancient, veteran and significant yew site.

You can also support this web site financially by joining The Tree Register or donating on-line in their shop. Quote specifically that your donation or Membership is for the Ancient Yew Group web site. Money raised will help cover the web site costs and be used to pursue ‘good practice’ projects. Donate Here