Much Marcle

Nearest town: Ledbury

Site type: churchyard

Access: Public

Church name: St Bartholomew

Diocese: Hereford

County: Herefordshire

Country: England

Grid ref: SO65703273

Lost yew site: No

Date visited: 20-Feb-98

Recorded by: Tim Hills

Protection & responsibility: Conservation Area-Herefordshire CC

Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 7m+

Notes: A 13th century church, with a tree even older. The well known yew grows on the south side, its branches now supported on a great iron frame. The notice in one of the photos reads as follows: ANCIENT YEW TREE: One month after the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953 the Reverend Graham Holly and Ernle Kyrle Pope of Homme House measured the girth of the tree. According to one Visitors' Book for that year, at the height of 4 feet 6 inches from ground level, the girth was 30 feet and 1 inch. In April 2006 the tree was again measured. At the same height from ground level, the girth had increased to 30 feet and 11 inches. In 2006 the tree was pruned for the first time in many years. We estimate that possibly 6 tons of dead timber was removed; the work took forty-five man hours and produced more than eight trailer-loads of rubbish. The tree has new growth and looks healthy. The Parochial Church Council have a certificate stating that the tree is at least 1500 years old.

Site files:

Much-Marcle-2020.pdf