The Yew Tree
The yew tree is the longest living native tree in Britain, with some examples being over 2,000 years old. Theoretically, a yew tree could live forever. As it grows towards what one might term 'ancient' (around 800 years for a yew), the yew tree, in common with many other long-living trees, becomes hollow, which actually strengthens it. The large, lower branches droop down to meet the ground, where they will root and create new trees; identicle to the parent tree. This would create an organic room, with a central chamber (the hollowed out trunk, surrounded by columns of other, newer, trees. It is belived that this may have given rise to the sacred nature of the yew, to ancient civilisations.
The yew tree is something of a paradox in English folklore, as it represents both life and death; life, because of its ability to grow to great age, in excess of 1,00 years and death, due to its proponderence in churchyards and its highly poisonous nature. Most people will probably know of yew trees due to the majority of them being in churchyards. There are a number of potential reasons for this: firstly, due to its association with mortality and immortality, it was seen as the ideal tree for a churchyard; secondly, due to its poisonous nature, it was used as a boundary, to deter cattle from entering the churchyard and, thirdly, in a number of cases, yew trees predate the churches, in whose yards they grow. This would suggest that some churches, at least, were built on sites that were already considered sacred to the existing pagan people, who lived there. This is by no means a fanciful idea, as the young Christian Church frequently 'hijacked' existing pagan festivals and sites.
In Derbyshire, it was considered very unlucky to burn the yew and farmers would avoid cutting one down, at all costs. The yew could be used to track down lost objects. In 'Household tales with other traditional remains, collected in The Counties of York, Lincoln, Derby, and Nottingham' (Addy, 1848), it says "If you have lost anything, get a branch of yew and hold it out before you as you walk, when it will lead you straight to the place where the lost object is. When you have reached the objectthe branch will turn round in your hand." In Celtic society, the yew tree was supposed to have been held as sacred by the Druids. More interestingly, though, in Viking mythology, the 'World Tree', Yggdrasil, could well have been a yew tree. Commonly, Yggdrasil has been seen as an ash tree, though it is likely that it was a yew tree. It is referred to as a 'needle-ash', which is more likely to mean a yew tree. Also, it is far more likely that it was a yew tree, due to its associations with death and rebirth.
The Darley Dale Yew
There are three notable yew trees in Derbyshire, the first of which is the Darley Dale Yew, in the churchyard of St Helen's Church. This specimen is over 8m in girth and over 2,000 years old; easily predating the church, in whose grounds it stands.
The yew tree is the longest living native tree in Britain, with some examples being over 2,000 years old. Theoretically, a yew tree could live forever. As it grows towards what one might term 'ancient' (around 800 years for a yew), the yew tree, in common with many other long-living trees, becomes hollow, which actually strengthens it. The large, lower branches droop down to meet the ground, where they will root and create new trees; identicle to the parent tree. This would create an organic room, with a central chamber (the hollowed out trunk, surrounded by columns of other, newer, trees. It is belived that this may have given rise to the sacred nature of the yew, to ancient civilisations.
The yew tree is something of a paradox in English folklore, as it represents both life and death; life, because of its ability to grow to great age, in excess of 1,00 years and death, due to its proponderence in churchyards and its highly poisonous nature. Most people will probably know of yew trees due to the majority of them being in churchyards. There are a number of potential reasons for this: firstly, due to its association with mortality and immortality, it was seen as the ideal tree for a churchyard; secondly, due to its poisonous nature, it was used as a boundary, to deter cattle from entering the churchyard and, thirdly, in a number of cases, yew trees predate the churches, in whose yards they grow. This would suggest that some churches, at least, were built on sites that were already considered sacred to the existing pagan people, who lived there. This is by no means a fanciful idea, as the young Christian Church frequently 'hijacked' existing pagan festivals and sites.
In Derbyshire, it was considered very unlucky to burn the yew and farmers would avoid cutting one down, at all costs. The yew could be used to track down lost objects. In 'Household tales with other traditional remains, collected in The Counties of York, Lincoln, Derby, and Nottingham' (Addy, 1848), it says "If you have lost anything, get a branch of yew and hold it out before you as you walk, when it will lead you straight to the place where the lost object is. When you have reached the objectthe branch will turn round in your hand." In Celtic society, the yew tree was supposed to have been held as sacred by the Druids. More interestingly, though, in Viking mythology, the 'World Tree', Yggdrasil, could well have been a yew tree. Commonly, Yggdrasil has been seen as an ash tree, though it is likely that it was a yew tree. It is referred to as a 'needle-ash', which is more likely to mean a yew tree. Also, it is far more likely that it was a yew tree, due to its associations with death and rebirth.
The Darley Dale Yew
There are three notable yew trees in Derbyshire, the first of which is the Darley Dale Yew, in the churchyard of St Helen's Church. This specimen is over 8m in girth and over 2,000 years old; easily predating the church, in whose grounds it stands.
Ancient yew tree, St Helen's Church, Darley by Humphrey Bolton
The Doveridge Yew
Second in our list, is the ancient yew tree in the grounds of St Cuthbert's Church, in the village of Doveridge. This tree is estimated at around 1,400 years old and has a girth of around 7m. This tree is completely hollowed out and has a series of chains holding the bole together. You can also see evidence of its low-hanging branches reaching to the floor and rooting. There is also an excellent piece of little-known folklore attached to this tree, in that it is alledged to be where Robin Hood was married to - not Maid Marian - but a woman called Clorinda. For full details of this legend, visit our 'Robin Hood in Derbyshire' page.
The Mugginton Yew
This impressive specimen grows in the churchyard of All Saints Church, in the village of Mugginton. Like the Doveridge yew, it is estimated at around 1,400 years old and is 7m+ in girth. The church itself is Norman, so, unless there was a previous Saxon church on the site, the yew tree also predates the church.
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