Fonthill Gifford

October 2017 – Peter Norton: The churchyard contains eleven yews of which the most notable grows outside of the southeast door. Girth was 14′ 6” (442cm) at 1′, 14′ 3” (434cm) at 2′ and 14′ 8” (447cm) at 3′. The measurement at 2′ followed 6 nails which somebody has hammered into the tree some time after 2012. A total of seven yews grow along the north west perimeter and from north to south, the 3rd yew, female, measured 11′ 4” at about 1′. The 5th yew, male, had a girth of 11′ 7” at 1′ and 12′ 2” at 2′. The remaining three yews, with girths between 6′ and 9′, are found on the southeast side of the church. The largest yew has a girth that suggests it could be older than the church, which was built in 1747. British History on-line shows a sketch of the church in 1749 with many trees around the church and in the landscape. It is not possible to know whether any of these represent yews.