Sanderstead - Mitchley Wood

The tree recorded here grows a few metres from the footpath, looking today towards the houses on Holmwood Avenue. It is one of several yews found here, some easy to reach, others visible only through extensive undergrowth. It is found approximately 50/60 metres from the first yew, which grows close to the road.
In D.H.Lawrence’s short story ‘The Trespasser’ the following extracts suggest that this is the tree described.
‘Here is our tent, a black-tartar’s ready pitched.’
‘He stopped under the low boughs of a very large yew tree that stood just back from the path.’
‘He looked down the valley’ – from this position the view is downwards across the valley.
‘Byrne sat on the ledge of a root, Helena beside him’. This yew has an abundance of exposed roots.
Over time many lower branches, that would have dipped to the ground around the tree, have been removed, so the tree would in the past have created an more tent like feature than today.