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Latest News
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What`s New - December 2007 A NEW WEB PAGE entitled Help Find an Old Yew has been introduced. More than 500 sites are listed where a yew or yews have been historically recorded and are awaiting verification. Yews in Ireland Adare Manor; Assolas House; Belvedere House; Brook Hall; Bunclody; Carton House, Maynooth; Castle Upton; Castle Ward; Doneraile Court; Dunloe Castle; Forenaughts/Furness House; Glebe House, Newcastle; Glencormac; Glenstal Abbey; Glenveagh Castle; Gormanston College; Knockabbey; Loughcrew Gardens; Loughgall Agricultural Station; Marlay Park, Rathfarnham; Maynooth; Moore Abbey; Oldbridge House, Drogheda; Rathkenny House A new article written by David Lloyd-Jones of Cheshire Arboriculture, has been added to the Lost Yews web page. The article first appeared in A Cheshire Life Magazine and can be found by clicking on Vale Royal Abbey, Cheshire. Lost Yews have been recorded at East Ilsley and Manest Court Farm. New photos have been added at: Historic photos of the Dryburgh Yew have been supplied by Christian Wolf. December 2007 |
What`s New - November 2007 3 new articles Two of these appear in the Lost Yew web page:
The Decayed but Reviving churchyard Yew at Offwell is found on the Churchyard Yew web page. This tree was thought to be dying in the early 19th century and in 1808 a new one planted to replace it. It is a classic illustration of the recuperative powers of an old yew tree. New sites have been visited and recorded at: Charing Heath – Cliff Hansford New photos have been added at: Lost Yews are recorded at Tourner Bury Hill Fort on Hayling Island Historic photos from Christian Wolf have been added to the following: Estry; La Haye de Routôt: La Lande–Patry; Montgardon; Offranville; Stoke Poges; West Kington November 2007 |
What`s New - October 2007 New entries, with photographs, of the following:: Historic photos Lost Yews are recorded at: New photos have been added at: October 2007 |
What`s New - September 2007 New sites recorded at: New photos added at: Lost Yews are recorded at Chigwell, Martley amd Garth Brengy. In 1862 there were reported to be 33 yews at Garth brengy, described as the remaining trees from a double line of yews which once surrounded the church. By 1998 that number had been further reduced to 23. Historic reference to yews at Llanspyddid in 1775 has been supplied by J.P.D.Williams. September 2007 |
What`s New - August 2007 New sites have been visited and recorded at: New unvisited sites have been added at: New photos/information have been added at: A Lost Yew is recorded at Barcombe Historic photos August 2007 |
What`s New - July 2007 New and amended articles Three new articles have been added this month.
July 2007 |
What`s New - June 2007 New Article - The Dibden Yew A full account of the demise of this once fine yew was written in 1837. It can be read on the Lost Yews web page. Cregrina – a second 20’ + girthed yew has been uncovered by Russell Cleaver. It was overlooked at the time of my own visit in 1999 when dense undergrowth prevented examination. Caversham Court Gardens A Health and Safety tale June 2007 |
What`s New in May 2007 3 new articles New sites documented Lost yews recorded at: New photographs: New historic postcards from Christian Wolf at: Historic photos of the yews at: May 2007 |
What`s new in April 2007 New sites visited and documented Lost yews recorded at: New photos In the pipe line: I no longer have time to visit all the sites with historical references to old yews. A new web page being prepared will feature lists of more than 500 such sites. April 2007 |
What`s New - March 2007 New sites visited and documented Ashampstead Common, Betteshanger, Boughton Malherbe, Bourton Combe, Cholderton,Gait Barrows, Preston Patrick, Shalbourne, Whitbarrow Scar, Witherslack, Yattendon, Yewbarrow Woods, Ynysybwl – Tim Hills Lost yews recorded at: New photographs: More old postcards from Christian Wolf: 1st entries for Cornwall and Rutland March 2007 |
What`s New - February 2007 New Web Page Two articles appear on our new Churchyard Yew web page. It is in churchyards that more than 80% of our known veteran and ancient yews are to be found, and those with the responsibility for looking after these ‘green monuments’ should have have access to information and guidance. New sites visited and documented (with photographs): Lost Yews have been recorded at the following locations: New photographs of Bank Hall have been provided by Steve Dearnaley. February 2007 |
Threatened felling of yew tree 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:
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What`s New - January 2007 Gazetteer page New Article New sites visited and documented (with photograps) Lost yews recorded at: Historic photos donated by Christian Wolf have been added for Crowhurst in Surrey and La Haye de Routot. New photographs January 2007 |
Relocation of yew tree (February 2007) When Orchard Care Homes acquired a new site in Cookridge for building a luxurious new state-of-the-art Care Home, they were faced with a dilemma. Should they move a 15 metre high yew or fell it? The decision was taken that the tree should be moved and the following details were sent to interested parties prior to the removal. The tree will be transplanted 12.5 metres by using an air spade to create a rootball, install a rootball frame, with a lifting frame under the rootball frame and will then be moved to its new location. Sophie Hazan wrote the following article which appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post on 10th January. They have kindly granted permission for it to be reproduced here. Left a bit... right a bit... yew've got it! Yew would never believe how much fuss one centenarian could cause, but this hardy 100-year-old is rather special. The protected British Yew tree in question has been at the centre of a 12-tonne planning problem since blueprints revealed it stood in the way of a lucrative new £4m care centre. Permission for the build was granted on the condition that the the 50ft giant, which sat at the heart of the foundations for the visionary 96-bed residential home, was carefully uprooted and replanted. Finally after weeks of preparation the answer arrived in the shape of a JCB, 20 tonnes of soil and an £8,000 bill. Experts called in from Essex moved the 12-tonne evergreen 40ft to the boundary of the muddy brown building site off Iveson Rise in Cookridge. The digger dragged the ancient tree and its roots, neatly wrapped in hessian to form a 17ft-wide "rootball" and then attached to a sturdy frame, along track to the side of the one-and-a-half acre plot. Once in position soil and compost was heaped on top to secure the tree in place. Alistair Wood, planning and design manager for Orchard Care Homes, said: "We are very excited about this project. It is a rare procedure that is a first for us. This is an environmentally friendly company serious about protecting the environment." Although the operation was straightforward the difficulty arose when tree transplanting group Ruskins excavated the roots. Keith Morley, managing director, said: " You don't know what you are going to find until you begin digging. In this case the tree had been planted above ground with soil heaped on top. "That meant we needed to dig much deeper to make sure we were taking earth from the ground along with the aerial roots to make sure the tree takes. "The soil was full of sandstone and boulders, and not in great condition. We looked at the science of the soil and will be keeping an eye of the tree's progress." The care centre will provide state-of-the-art care for residents who will enjoy private ensuite bedrooms with flat-screen televisions, DVD players and access to internet. It is expected to be complete by Christmas. Sophie Hazan 9th January 2007 |
More Yews under threat I have been informed that yews are under threat at the following sites: Ashley Court Hotel, Bristol Roundway Down, near Devizes, Wiltshire |
Yew saplings planted at Houghton Hillside Cemetery In May 2006 we reported an outbreak of vandalism at this cemetery, when old yews around Rector John Grey's grave were vandalised. Ancient Yew Group member Paul Greenwood donated a batch of yew saplings rescued from a churchyard in Darlington and on 31st March 2007 these were planted to replace the damaged trees. Go to http://www.houghton-hillside-cemetery.org.uk/ for a full report of events. |
St Faiths Church House, Havant This threatened yew can be seen on the Gazetteer web page at Havant – St Faiths Church House. It is a fine street specimen and a request to fell it was submitted to remove the nuisance of pigeon droppings. The person making the request had been advised that while it is possible to remove the pigeons, this would only be a short term measure and that they would eventually return. The Ancient Yew Group have submitted an objection as follows: The proposed application to fell the Common Yew, which is subject to TPO 1686 should be rejected on the following grounds:
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Threatened yews now protected by TPO I was alerted to a recent case in Gloucester, where the local NHS trust had applied to fell a relatively young yew as part of a larger application of work needing to be carried out on a number of trees. The application cited the “hazard” posed by falling berries. The City Council refused consent on the grounds that whilst falling arils may be a seasonal inconvenience there are less drastic options to resolving the issue. Because the tree has ‘public amenity value’ it now has the protection of a Tree Preservation Order. A larger yew with a girth of about 3m, was threatened with felling because because pigeon droppings fell onto the communal garden area below. In this instance the matter went before a planning committee at which the councillors agreed to the Tree Officer’s request for a Tree Preservation Order. |
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