The most significant YEWS in the DIOCESE of GLOUCESTER
© Tim Hills - November 2012
This document provides some of the information gathered from many sources during the last 15 years and
held on behalf of the Ancient Yew Group.
The yews featured here are the most significant to be found in the churchyards of the Diocese of Gloucester
and each one should be fully protected.
Ancient yews are at least 800 years with no upper age limit. The Yews for the Millennium project took cuttings from yews considered to be 2000 years old, and there is a growing acceptance that our oldest specimens
have reached this age, with some thought to be older still.
Veteran yews are at least 500 and some individuals may be up to 1200 years old.
Notable yews are likely to be at least 300 years old, though this category may also include younger yews, for
example those with a known planting date.
Ancient and Veteran Yews in the Diocese of Gloucester
Site name
Abenhall
Church name
St Michael
Tree Classification
1 veteran
Adelstrop
St Mary Magdalene
1 veteran
Awre
St Andrew
1 ancient
Broadwell
St Paul
1 ancient
Bulley
St Michael
1 veteran
Coln Rogers
St Andrew
1 veteran
Forthampton
St Mary the Virgin
Hawling
St Edward
1 ancient
1 notable
1 veteran
Hewelsfield
St Mary Magdalene
1 veteran
Huntley
St John the Baptist
1 ancient
Kemble
All Saints
1 veteran
Minsterworth
St Peter
Pauntley
St John the Evangelist
1 veteran
1 notable
1 ancient
Saintbury
St Nicholas
1 veteran
Staunton
St James
1 ancient
Staunton (Forest of Dean) All Saints
1 veteran
Todenham
1 veteran
St Thomas à Becket
ABENHALL
St Michael
SO67131741
Abenhall has also been known as Abbenhall and Abinghall.
Geoff Garlick 2005
Geoff Garlick 2005
1876: Two yews at Abbenhall were described as ‘especially venerable……....dating probably from the time of
Edward I (1239-1307)’.1
1936: Mee described Abinghall as a lonely place with a 13th century church and ‘two magnificent old yews
that have kept it company most of the time’. 2
2003: At some time between 1936 and 2003 one of the pair was destroyed.
The surviving tree is this male growing south west of the church. Examination indicates that it has been considerably larger than its present girth of 14' 9'' (450cm) at 1'.
ADELSTROP
St Mary Magdalene
SP24302690
2012: A veteran yew only recently discovered by Lin Carter. It is male with two trunks joined close to the
ground and grows west of the church. Girth - 20' 9'' close to the ground.
AWRE
St Andrew
SO70880805
St Andrew’s church dates from the early 13th century, so the ancient yew’s presence suggests this was a site of
worship long before the present church was built.
In 1796, Phillips recorded that ‘a hollow yew-tree is now standing in Awre churchyard whose circumference
four feet from the ground, is twenty-two feet five inches and its diametre upwards of seven feet’. 3
In 1913 Arthur O.Cooke wrote: ‘For those who love old trees the greatest interest of the church may lie outside; for in the graveyard on the northern side is a most ancient yew. The trunk is quite hollow, with an opening through which a full-grown man may pass’. 4 More of the trunk has been lost since this time, for the gap on
one side of the tree is now 4'.
2008: The male yew, growing NE of the church, has an unusual and distinctive grey bark. Its two sections at
ground level join at a height of 5'/6', above which is a fine spread of branches. Below this spreading tree are
buried those ‘fishermen who drowned in the river Severn in the days of the old Severn Trow sailing ships’. 5
Cooke also noted a second yew growing by the churchyard gate, ‘far from contemptible in size: a stripling not
ill fitted to take up the burden of its ancient neighbour, and to carry down to a remote posterity traditions of
the yews at Awre’. This ‘stripling’ grows south of the church and girths about 11', suggesting an age of 200/300
years. There is no reason however why it should lose its ‘ancient neighbour’ for many more centuries.
Girth records:
1796: 22' 5'' at 4' (Phillips)3
1986: 22' 9'' at 4' (Meredith)
1998: 19' 11'' at the base: 23' 6'' at 3': 20' 9'' at 4' 6'' (Hills)
2008:
20' 2'' at the base : 23' 6'' at 3' (Hills)
In 1986 several samples were taken from a long dead section of the outer
part of the tree on its south side. Meredith found over 50 rings in one sample of less than an inch and more than 30 in another sample of about half
an inch; in a further sample the rings were too close to be counted by eye.
BROADWELL
St Paul
SP20052769
Geoff Garlick
Geoff Garlick
The church is Norman, though it is thought to be the site of an earlier place of worship. In 1993 Revd R.N.
Mann responded to a questionnaire from the Conservation Foundation. He noted that a Saxon pagan cemetery
had been identified to the north of the church, also that the Broad Well from which the village derives its
name is a spring about 100m south of the tree, but which was
probably originally closer.
1914: JC Cox described the female yew which grows in the south
of the churchyard as ‘ancient, wide spreading and vigorous’. 7
1938: Mee described ‘….a giant yew which has kept this spot
green for seven or eight centuries. Its trunk is about 8 yards
round’.2
On many occasions Mee, or one of his team of writers, has speculated on the age of significant churchyard yews. In this instance
he considered the tree to be coeval with the church building.
While this is a possibility, everything about the yew suggests it
might be older still.
1999: A female yew where the removal of branches has led to
hollow spaces in which can be seen internal roots feeding on decaying heartwood. There are also small internal stems. The tree
swells considerably above the height of 1'. At 7'/9' its bole ‘flows’
into a fluted main branch.
Girth records:
1980: 26' 4'' at 3' (Meredith)
1999: 22' 8'' at 1' swelling to 26' 7'' at 3' (Hills)
BULLEY
St Michael
SO76171975
Here is a classic example of an ancient yew’s ability to recover from trauma. In 1938 it was ‘a magnificent yew
with a trunk 6 yards round, reaching the timber porch with its great arms’.2
But in 1969 disaster struck when the yew was ‘split down the middle’. These newspaper extracts are taken
from between Oct 1969 and Dec 1971.
‘The famous 900 year old yew tree, which has
stood in the secluded churchyard at Bulley, near
Gloucester, since the church was built in Norman
times, has finally succumbed to old age. For one
evening last week there was a rending crack and
the huge old tree suddenly split down the middle,
shedding a number of its branches on to the paths
and graves. Fortunately, the section which overhangs the main door and roof of St Michael’s
church remained upright.”
“Apparently, the falling branches did not even
damage any of the headstones. It was a very famous tree in these parts. I am told by a local forester that ‘it is probably 900 years old and I think it may have been planted outside the church door
when the church was built’.’
1999: Although it now appears lop-sided, this female tree, growing south east of the church, has recovered
and is in fine health. From the trunk at a height of 8'/9', four large branches stretch towards the porch for a
distance of about 7/8 yards. Sudden exposure to the light of a large part of its trunk has resulted in attractive
bark colouring.
Girth records: 1938:
1986:
1998:
2008:
18' round (Mee)3
17' 6'' at 3' (Meredith)
17' 3'' at 1': 17' 2'' at 3': 17' 11'' at 4' (just below limbs) Hills
17' 6'' at 1': 17' 6'' at 3': 18' 6'' at 4' (Hills)
COLN ROGERS
St Andrew
SP08740968
1999: An ivy filled male yew grows SW
of the church. From its solid looking
trunk, branches carry the tree upwards
rather than outwards.
Girth - exaggerated by ivy
18' 6" at 1'
19' 10" at 3'
19' 10" at 5'.
photos Geoff Garlick
FORTHAMPTON
St Mary the Virgin SO85873256
Were it not for historical records this might
easily be mistaken for a younger yew. What remains today is a well developed fragment of
the original tree, with a girth of about 8'. Before
gales and storms damaged the tree its recorded
girth in 1820 was 27'.6 Its demise is well documented, in one account it was ‘blown down in
1839’ and in another ‘storm damaged in 1860’.6
In 1938 Mee recognised it as the ‘veteran
blown down a century ago………It is still
alive, a shoot from the stump having become a
fair sized tree’.2
Also in the churchyard ENE of the church is a notable yew with a girth of about 15', while in 1840 three
yews were planted by Joseph Yorke. One growing close to the tower was cut down in 1973, but the remaining two have survived.
HAWLING
St Edward
SP06292294
In 1936 Mee described ‘a gigantic yew’.2 It is in fact a relatively small girthed female tree which grows in the
NW corner of the churchyard, above a vertical drop into what used to be the old dairy.
2003: At the time of the visit the area around the base of the tree was used as a dumping ground for heavy
blocks of stone. A hole on the NW side of the tree
reveals large hollow spaces, while on the SE side
there is a suggestion that section A might have once
been a central internal stem. If this is the case the
tree would have been considerably larger in girth
centuries ago. The tree was in vigorous good health.
Girth: 17' 7'' at 1': 17' 11'' at 2': 18' 3'' at 3'
A younger female yew, with branches dipping to
the ground, grows NE of the church.
A
HEWELSFIELD
Photos Geoff Garlick 2005
St Mary Magdalene SO56750211
This is the most westerly parish in
Gloucestershire. Parts of the church
date back to Saxon times. Meredith
argues that the name Hewelsfield is
derived from the yew tree, citing
‘ewe’ as an old spelling of yew.6
The earliest record of this ancient
yew so far discovered dates from
1914, in which Cox understates its
powerful presence, describing it
simply as ‘...a fine old yew tree’.7
1998: The male yew grows on the
south side of the church and displays many fine features: a clean
trunk, a large girth retained for a considerable height and a cavernous hollow which closes over at 15/18'.
Most of its growth is carried on 3 large upright branches, two of which rise side by side and carry the tree to a
greater height than is usual in churchyard yews. Many of its branches have been allowed to dip towards the
ground.
Girth recorded at 3' illustrates the difficulty of consistent measurement of yews growing on sloping ground.
1986: 21' 6'' at 3' and 20' 7'' at 4' Meredith
1998: 20'11" at 3' and 20' 3'' at 5' Hills
Photos Geoff Garlick 2005
HUNTLEY
St John the Baptist
SO71331960
1803: ‘In the church-yard is growing a yew–tree of 20 feet in girth’.8
1938: ‘It has an old yew which may be 700 years old; it is about 24 feet round its trunk’.2
1991: The following letter from the then church warden Mr.R.Hawking dated 23 Feb 1991 demonstrates that
the fate of our most ancient trees is determined at a local level and is heavily reliant on goodwill.
‘I would like to draw your attention to the (yew) which is obviously very ancient and nearing the end of its
life. The church was founded in the 13th century and possibly the tree is even older. It was recorded as having
a girth of 20 feet in 1800 and is now completely hollow and reduced to three sections, although these are still
growing vigorously. It is held together with a cable, and is probably still standing only because it is very close
to the church and sheltered by it. It is little known because it is round the back of the church and out of view.
I am churchwarden and look after the tree by seeing that the top growth is cut back every five years to reduce
the strain on the trunk due to wind or weight of snow, but am concerned that this will be neglected if I am no
longer around. I would like to see the historic tree ‘adopted’ by some organisation who would undertake to
inspect it every few years and recommend any works necessary to the PCC’.
Visits in 1998, 2001, 2008, 2011
The female yew grows NW of the church and is squeezed into a small space between the church, a fuel storage tank and a mature Giant Redwood. For hundreds of years it has been traditional to plant a yew SW of a
building, to provide that building with some protection from the prevailing winds. In this instance, however,
it is suggested that the tree’s long life is in part due to the protection provided by the church! This is undoubtedly a very long lived tree, much older than the 700 years attributed by Mee.
In 1998 it was in fine health, its crown laden with dense foliage. By 2001 this had turned brown and the tree
appeared to be dying. We need to be alert to the fact that this is not unusual, and ensure that ancient specimens are not felled simply because for a brief time they are ‘looking the worse for wear’. By 2008 the tree was
again covered in a rich dense foliage, and the same was noted in 2011.
This remarkable yew consists of six pieces of trunk, some no thicker than a few inches, which join above head
height, and are held together by a metal bar at about 12 feet.
Girth
1991: 20' 5'' at 3' and 20' 8'' at 4'
1998: 21' 10'' at 1', 21' 5'' at 3' and 23' 5'' at 5'
KEMBLE
All Saints
ST98929698
A
A
A
1894: ‘The yew on the west side of the tower is probably older than the fabric—the trunk measures 18ft 6ins
round at a height of 6 feet from the ground. It is hollow for some 9ft or 10ft high, and in the centre is the distinct stem of a smaller tree which has become merged into the main trunk. Local tradition says that the great
yew tree by the tower dates from Anglo-Saxon times’.9
1938: ‘The churchyard has a natural curiosity in the shape of a giant yew tree with a hollow trunk and the
trunk of another inside it. The tree is 20ft round, though this includes the beams clamped round with iron
bands. We can see the inner trunk through a little hole. About a foot thick it appears to rise straight from the
ground, and may be quite a separate yew. Old yew must have been young when the tower was built 700 years
ago’. 2
In the 1950s half of the trunk was removed, allowing a clear view of the internal root or internal stem (A).
This grows in what was the centre of the tree, beginning its life growing downwards from one of the branches
through the tree’s decaying and hollowing centre until it roots in the ground. This phenomenon has only
been recently understood.
1998: Being so close to the church, the tree has been encouraged to grow upwards rather than outwards; even
so it is not especially tall. Ivy had been recently removed and the presence of cyclamen beneath the tree demonstrates that brambles, nettles and elder are not the only plants capable of withstanding the yew’s deep
shade. This tree provides evidence that a yew can grow for centuries within a few metres of a building without causing damage to its foundations.
Girth in 1998: 15' 8" at 3' and 15' 9" at 5'. Girth of internal stem 4' 1" at the ground and 3' 4" at 5'.
Photos taken in 2011.
MINSTERWORTH
St Peter
SO77311699
The river Severn overflows into this churchyard whenever high tides coincide with adverse weather conditions. So Mee’s 1938 description is apt, and the Severn must on many occasions have ‘washed the feet of the 3
fine yews in the churchyard, little yew 11', middle-sized 17' and big yew 20' round’.2
‘Big yew’ is this grand hollow female growing SE of the church. It bulges considerably above 2' and releases its
wayward, spreading branches from a height of 8/10'. A girth of 17' (518) at 1' understates the powerful presence of this tree.
‘Middle-sized yew’ is male, with an elongated trunk, a mix of
live (A) and dead (B) wood, with a girth of 15' 3" at the ground
and 17' 3" at 5'.
‘Little yew’, girthing 13' 2" at 5', is a fine fluted male with
colourful bark. It grows NW of the church at the churchyard
entrance.
B
A
PAUNTLEY
St John the Evangelist.
SO74872896
Pauntley is the home of Dick Whittington, the ‘starting-point of his journey to immortality’. The church has a
fine Norman door and an unusually sited porch on the north side, while Whittington’s arms can be seen in the
west window of the tower.
The earliest record of the yew is contained in one of 5 views of Pauntley Church 10 taken in 1881, in which the
male yew is seen spreading outwards from close to the ground, while a single branch pushes upwards through
the low growth.
1999
2006
1999: Its appearance was little changed. I found half of the trunk’s surface area obscured by ivy and twiggy
growth, as well as evidence of fire/smoke damage. By the time of Geoff Garlick’s visit in 2006 the ivy had been
removed.
SAINTBURY
St Nicholas
SP11713944
1921: ‘The churchyard contains the trunk of a colossal yew, possibly of pre-conquest date’. 11
1999: The male yew grows south of the church. It measured 15'1" at 1' around its live section and a piece of
stump. These are the remaining fragments of the once colossal yew. Its trunk divides at 8/10' into many tall rising branches. Internal growth could be seen in the main branch.
STAUNTON
St James
SO78192921
Three villages lie just within the Gloucestershire county boundary, two called Staunton and one Stanton. It is
perhaps not surprising that this has caused confusion in the past. An ancient yew with a girth of 25 feet at 5ft.
was recorded in 1874 at Stanton, Worcestershire.12 This was almost certainly referring to this massive fragment found at Staunton, Gloucestershire.
The male yew grows NW of the church tower and was described in 1924 as ‘an old yew tree with hollow
stem, said to be the largest in the county. Its girth is 28 ft. 9 in’.13
1938: Mee recognised the true immensity of this tree, recording ‘ ….a colossal yew 25 feet round and breaking
up with age’.2
Vaughan Cornish (1940s) wrote to parishes seeking information about their churchyard yews. Hayes replied
with the following description: ‘Yew with girth of 33', limbs extending 30' on north and 20' on south side.
New bark grows over the old trunk. Limbs well covered with foliage’.14
1998: This is an exceptional fragment of a huge old tree. It might eventually break into two fragment trees.
For the moment its two distinct sections, gradually leaning outwards, are held together with thick wire.
STAUNTON (Forest of Dean)
SO55071261
1938: ‘….a veteran 20 feet round’.2
2003: This hollow female grows on a small mound east of the church. It has in the past been overrun by ivy
and several large dead stems still clung to the north side of the tree, while those on the south side were still
growing.
It is thin skinned with one gap into its hollow, 5' high and 1' wide. It was just possible to stand upright inside
the space. Several internal stems push through the skin within the first few feet.
It appears truncated with split branches showing at the top of the tree. Its main rising growth is above the gap
where remnants of the original trunk can be seen.
Newer growth rises all around the remainder of the tree.
Girth: 17' 4'' at the ground.
TODENHAM
St Thomas … Becket
SP24323631
This is an example of a yew whose girth has been exaggerated because of the tradition of measuring all trees at 5ft. It grows SW of the church tower and was
recognised as ‘a well grown ancient yew’ in 1914. At that time its recorded girth
was 20' 6''.
In 1999 I took several measurements which more accurately record the shape of
this tree:- 15' at the ground, 15' 9" at 2', and bulging outwards to 21' 5" just below 4'.
It is a fine male tree, with branches allowed to sweep down to the ground among
the tombstones. A substantial area of growth stretches towards the road, and
while this is at the moment well connected to the tree, it could mark the point
where it eventually begins to split.
In a tree already carrying the weight of a fine healthy foliage, it was encouraging
to see that ivy had been removed. These are specimen trees and should be
treated as if in an arboretum.
Some of the Notable Yews in the Diocese of Gloucester
BOXWELL
St Mary
ST81229269
2010: The church is accessed along the private drive of an estate owned by the Huntley family. The yew,
with a girth of 13' 3'' at 6'', grows south of the church. In spite of its small girth it has many characteristics of a
very old tree. The ground plan shows the probable line of the original tree. Remnants of dead `white` sapwood can be seen, and above head height are internal stems and large quantities of crumbling red heartwood.
BROMSBERROW
St Mary the Virgin SO743336
1955: A girth of 14' 6'' at 3' was recorded.
Notes from an unknown source say that
branches were lost because of ice in 1940,
and more in the gales of 1959, 1974 and
1976. One side of the tree is lost, exposing
its innards on the outside. Girth has diminished to 13' 5'' at 2' in 2011.
COLD ASTON (Aston Blank)
St Andrew
SP12801990
1914: ‘A well grown ancient yew, with a girth of
15ft 6in.'.7
In 1938 Mee acknowledged it as a ‘grand old yew”
which has stood for centuries ‘its trunk 16 feet
round’.2 The church considers the tree to be at least
600 years old.
2003: The tall female yew grows SSW of the church
All low growth has been removed resulting in a
clean, visible trunk. This possibly explains why the
girth measurements recorded in 2003 are lower
than those in 1914.
14' 6'' at 1', 14' 6'' at 3', and 14' 10'' at 5'.
Photos Geoff Garlick
DEERHURST
St Mary
SO87002990
1999: A male yew with a girth of 13' 9'' at 4' in 1981 and 14' at 2' 6". The
photo shows both the living part of the tree (A) and the dead sapwood
(B). Dead sapwood can remain in situ for centuries, and can provide a
scaffold for the living wood to gradually creep around the tree. While
there might eventually be a complete circle of living wood, it is also possible that the dead wood will decay first, leaving a horse shoe shaped hollow tree.
A
B
Stow-on-the-WoldSt Mary
PAINSWICK
SO86650963
St Edward
“There is nothing like them anywhere we know”2
Painswick is perhaps the best known and most visited yew site in Britain. Its yews are not, however, of vast
old age,
indeed the oldest
are 18th century,
while the majority
were planted
the 19th
century.
The plant1897:
Birmimgham
and Warwickshire
Archaeological
society described:
“twoinancient
yew
trees which
seem
ing
date
of
the
earliest
trees
was
either
1714
or
1774,
depending
on
which
account
is
read.
Records
also
disto embrace the entrance are curious.”
pute the
of yews
the churchyard,
99side
the most
quoted.
traditional
tale is that
at2006:
Thenumber
two male
yewsingrow
close to andwith
either
of thefrequently
north door.
TheyAfeature
in Thomas
Pakentempts
to
plant
the
hundredth
yew
always
ends
in
failure.
ham's Meetings with remarkable trees. At 4' their girths were 6' 5'' and 6' 7''.
Every September a ‘clypping’ ceremony takes place. Its name comes from the Saxon word ‘ycleping’, which
means embracing. People of the village hold hands and encircle the church in a service of dedication.
Clipping to maintain these shapes slows down the rate of girth increase. A sample of 15 of the older yews
showed an average girth of only 3' 9''. Under normal, unclipped, growing conditions this figure would be
closer to 8'.
SAPPERTON
St Kenelm
SO94730340
2002: Six yews grow either side of the path leading to the
church. The first two grow close by the gate, the remaining four
form a neat square close to the church porch. All show different growth characteristics.
Girths range from 8ft to 14ft 5ins.
Photo - Peter Norton 2011
SEVENHAMPTON
St Andrew
SP03252172
1938: ‘A grand old yew’.2
2003: The male tree grows on sloping ground SW of the church, its
thick buttress like features showing for 2' beneath an explosion of
twiggy growth. Above this rise many upright branches, all relatively
recent. Much good work clearing the ground around the yew had
been done since my previous visit.
One space on its SW face is hollowing and red heartwood is visible
inside the decaying old stem.
Girth is 15' 11'' at 1'.
photo - Geoff Garlick 2005
STOW-on-the-WOLD
St Edward
SP19082581
Birmimgham and Warwickshire Archaeological society 1897
noticed the ‘two ancient yew trees which seem to embrace the
entrance’.
2006: The two male yews grow close to and either side of the
north door. They feature in Thomas Pakenham's Meetings with
remarkable trees. At 4' their girths were 6' 5'' and 6' 7''.
We also have records of Notable yews at Ampney Crucis: Avening: Compton Abdale: Down Ampney:
Dymock: Elmstone Great Witcombe: Hardwicke: Leonard Stanley: Longney: Lower Dowdeswell: Matson:
Tidenham: Upton St Leonards. More details of these can be found in the website Gazetteer.
A full survey of Gloucestershire’s churchyards would add many more yews to this list.
1 Morris & Co.Commercial Directory & Gazetteer 1876
2 The King’s England - Arthur Mee 1938 edition
3 The Monthly Magazine 1796 - unverified
4 The Forest of Dean Arthur O’Cooke
5 www.fweb.org.uk/dean/towns/awre.htm
6 The Sacred Yew Chetan and Brueton 1994
7 Gloucestershire 5th Edition J.C.Cox 1914
8 T he History of the County of Gloucester:Compressed and brought down to the year 1803 Vol II by Revd
Thomas Rudge, B.D. rector of St Michael, in Gloucester
9 The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History magazine
10 Held by Gloucester County archives
11 Ancient Cotswold Churches by Alric Daubeny
12 The Yew Trees of Great Britain and Ireland John Lowe 1896
13 History of the County of Worcester 1924 vol 4 pp197-202 (British History On-line)
14 The Churchyard Yew and Immortality Vaughan Cornish 1946
© Tim Hills - November 2012