Chilton Candover

An 1890 reference in Lowe’s Yew-Trees of Great Britain and Ireland describes ‘an avenue 1/2 mile long, varying from 8 to 16ft in girth’. Its precise planting date is unknown, 1670 has been suggested, though such avenues are known to have been planted as early as the beginning of the 17th century. In The Hampshire Antiquary and Naturalist 1890 is the following:”The finest avenue of yews we have in Hampshire is that at Chilton Candover, near one of the sources of the Candover stream, an upper branch of the Itchen. This avenue is about half a mile long, and is an imposing sight, particularly in winter. The trees may be described as still in a vigorous state of growth, although probably four or five hundred years old. That difference in soil makes a difference in the rate of the growth of the yew is well seen at Chilton Candover, where some of the trees in the avenue are considerably larger than others. They have all the appearance of being planted at one time, but the avenue extends from east to west down a chalk slope, consequently there has been considerable rain wash down the slope and a deeper soil has been formed near the bottom of the slope than remains on the upper part. The largest yews in the avenue are, as might be expected, where the soil is the best.”
October 2005 – Russell Cleaver: The photos reflect some of the variety of yew growth characteristics seen in this avenue. The largest yew recorded girthed 14′ 3” (434cm). Young yews replace those lost in the storms of the 1980s.
August 2006 – Mrs Marriott, the present owner of this important site met 38 members of Eibenfreunde (Friends of the yew) and accompanied them on this part of their 10 day tour studying some of the finest yew sites in southern England.