Llanelieu

September 2010 – Tim Hills: Girth of 11′ 8” at 3′ recorded just below the sawn out ‘diamond’. The male yew was once used as a form of stocks or as a whipping post. The holes in which the offender placed his hands can still be seen.
In Notes and Queries of Nov 5th 1898 p369 a letter written by John Lowe reported the following: “LLANELIEU, ST. ELLYW, BRECON. In the churchyard on the edge of Black Mountain Common is a large yew tree, of which Miss M.B.Morgan sends me a photograph. It is notable as having been used formerly as a place of punishment, locally known as the ‘Stocks’, or, as is thought by one person in the place, a whipping-post. Two holes are cut in the tree to admit the hands, which are maintained in position by a transverse bar passing through other holes bored in the tree. The root is cut away to admit of standing-room, the culprit being placed with his face toward the tree, and the hands being put through the holes, palms inwards. The situation is described as ‘horrible’. There is no record of the time when the tree was used as a place of punishment, but it cannot be long ago, or the holes would have grown up. Can any of your readers throw light on this practice?”
June 2016 – Paul Wood: In this very quiet and remote location the yews were much as described in 2010. Girth was 11′ 8” (3.56m) at 3′ from the top of the root crown on the north side of the tree just beneath the first leader from the bole. This appeared to be the tree’s narrowest point. I noted much staining around the holes cut for the hands. The hole to the left was home to a long tailed tit with young. The second yew – not measured – was visibly smaller.