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Close Walks - Midhurst

Nearest town: Midhurst

Site type: planted avenue

Access: Public

Church name:

Diocese:

County: Sussex - West

Country: England

Grid ref: SU8897021121

Lost yew site: Yes

Date visited: 18-Apr-14

Recorded by: Peter Norton

Protection & responsibility: No data

Yews recorded at this site: Lost

Notes: In 1905 Elwes and Henry in Trees of Great Britain and Ireland found it strange that earlier writers had not noted these yews, of such extraordinary height that they were believed to be 'the most remarkable yew grove in Britain or elsewhere'. "The close walks are situated close to the town on the other side of the river, and consist of four avenues of yew trees forming a square of about 150 yards, together with a grove of yews at the upper end which average, as nearly as I could measure them, about 75 feet in height, but some probably exceed 80. These trees are for the most part sound and healthy, though little care has been taken of them, and some have fallen. They are remarkable not only for their great height, which exceeds that of any other yews on record in Europe, but on account of their freedom from large branches, many having clean boles of 20 - 30 feet with a girth of 8-9 feet. They stand so thick together that on an area of about half an acre or less (I made 213 paces in going round it) I counted about 100 trees and saw the stumps of 10 or 12 more, which would probably average over 30 cubic feet to each tree without reckoning the branches."