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Three end of year tales

 

1          A Surrey church, whose churchyard falls within a Conservation Area, recently submitted plans to fell a large number of its trees. Permission was granted by the local authority’s tree officer who said that it was the business of the church to decide their planting and felling policy and that he was not empowered to intervene. Since this site also contains one of England’s last remaining 166 ancient churchyard yews I asked how his department would respond to a request to fell the ancient tree. His reply was that its age would make no difference and reiterated that since this was church business he would not be in a position to get involved. In the past Tree Officers have refused to give TPOs to trees in Conservation Area churchyards, saying that they are already protected. This instance, along with the felling of an ancient yew in Ashford Carbonell’s churchyard in 2012 shows that being in a Conservation Area does not provide the protection we thought existed. 

 

2          The following proposal was submitted to carry out work on an ancient churchyard yew in Hampshire ‘deadwood, remove breakouts, crown lift to 2m. Reduce long laterals all round by 2-4 m, and balance’ All of this work was said to be required as high priority. The removal of dead wood, particularly that seen at   http://www.ancient-yew.org/treeInfo.php?link=477&nowstage=1&nowpage=2

would destroy part of the essence of an old yew, namely a section of dead sapwood which will not decay for centuries and can provide the scaffolding on which new wood can be laid down.    

 

3          On Saturday 4 January The Times led on a story of the 20 largest threatened ancient woodlands in England. One of these is Chilling Copse in Hampshire, home to an ancient yew. Since there are at the moment only 49 ancient yews recorded outside of churchyards in England, this would be a significant loss. http://www.ancient-yew.org/siteInfo.php?link=2641

 

 

The Yews of Old Sloden in the New Forest by Peter Norton

The condition of the yews at Old Sloden has concerned Peter Norton for many years. While finding out more of the woodland’s recorded history, he came across an 1877 report which described the sweeping away of all the fine old trees in the area, whose numbers are said to have included “300 ancient yews, many of which were probably in existence in Saxon times……all have been ruthlessly cut down and destroyed….”

The discovery that such a large ancient yew woodland could have been so recently destroyed led to a comprehensive survey of the present Old Sloden yew population. This is an important site, as it is the only surviving yew wood in the New Forest with sufficient trees to form a close canopy. But Norton’s survey shows a woodland once more under threat, with a sixth of the yews he recorded being dead, and with many more dying. Senior management within the Forestry Commission and the New Forest National Park have been informed and it is hoped that they will carry out research to discover the reason or reasons for this decline. The article is found in Yew Articles - Non-churchyard yew - Peter Norton surveys of non-churchyard yews   

Wiltshire: The Longleat Yew  by Tim Hills

This is found under Yew Articles – Non-churchyard Yew – Individual reports:

The ancient yew is at Temple Farm, now part of the Longleat Estate, and has been known about since 1780. A comprehensive account of the tree appeared in The Journal of Forestry and Estate Management in 1877 and is reproduced here.

 

Continuing with reports from churchyards in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, this month a further 27 sites have been added, featuring 37 ancient or veteran trees. 

Cilmery: Gladestry: Llanafan-fechan: Llanbedr (Paincastle): Llanddewi Fach (Cwm): Llandefalle: Llandegley: Llandeilo’r Fan: Llanfaredd: Llanfihangel Rhydithon: Llanfihangel Tal-y-llyn: Llanfrynach: Llangattock: Llangenny: Llangunllo: Llangynog-pwll-du: Llanhamlach: Llanlleonfel: Llanrhidian: Maesyminis: Penpont: Rhulen: Talachddu: Upper Chapel (Dyffryn Honddu): Whitton: Ystradfellte   

 

Badgworth – two trees with a known planting date of 1740 and girths between 8' 11'' and 9' 6''.

Biddisham – Tim Hills

Priors Dean (Sunken Lane) – Although this location has been known about and recorded in the Gazetteer (List of Yews) for many years, it is only now that the trees have been properly recorded. Five are included, of which two are veteran.

 

Cudham, Downe, Farleigh, Knockholt, Warlingham – Peter Norton

Little Hereford – Tim Hills
St Ursin - Wim Peeters

Llanfrothen – Paolo Bavaresco

 

Ankerwyke: Little Somborne-Winter Down Copse: Selborne-The Wakes – Peter Norton

 

Chester Approach - Alistair Wrenn

Catherington - Peter Norton