Yarkhill

Paul Wood 2017: Formerly a churchyard yew, the tree is now found in the adjacent rectory garden. The yew grows on the west side of the church where I believe the boundary was reduced at some time in the past, possibly when the rectory was built. The orange broken line indicates where the boundary probably once was. We can assume that this yew was once a churchyard boundary yew. It is a particularly tall specimen. A short bole rises little more than a foot where it divides into two uprights, one girthing about 7′ and the other about 5′. The smaller girthed is clearly growing over a larger 8’/9′ girthed stump. Other limbs of various size have been removed in the yew’s past and many are well advanced in being grown over by the living tree. The larger upright retains its 7′ girth to a height of 12’/15′. Growth was abundant over the tree and for a much altered yew it appeared to be flourishing. The bole was a striking deep red, almost dark purple, colour.