The yew tree is often found in churchyards across England and can predate the churches they accompany. These ancient trees can signify a sacred site much earlier than the church becoming exceptionally large (over 9ft or 3 metres diameter) and likely to be over 2,000 years old.
Is there a Yew in your local Northamptonshire churchyard? Leave us a comment or email editor@northamptonshire-history.org.uk with your pictures.
You can read more about this symbol of both elongated life and of death (due to it's poisonous nature) on Wikipedia here.
Hi Love the site - keep up the work & it's sure to grow.
There was a wonderful, very old & very large copper beech in the centre of N'pton which appears to have been cut back to almost nothing - I believe it was one of the oldest/largest in Europe - do you know what has become of it & it's history.
Regards Fiona
Hello Fiona,
Thank you for your comments and your interesting question. I wasn't aware of this tree but you are absolutely right that Northampton is home to the oldest and largest Copper Beech tree in Britain and possibly Europe.
I have conducted some brief research and felt that this tree deserves a new page on the site. I am going to try and get a photo of the tree as soon as possible.
I hope you find the information as interesting as I did.
Click here to read about Britains Largest Beech Tree
Regards,
Marcus
Fiona.
Read with interest your article re the UK's largest copper beech tree.
As the tree is no longer standing I would offer up the one bordering my courtyard
in Cirencester which can be clearly seen by google earth. GL7 2AN.
I'm not aware of it's age but the orignal grounds formed part of the graveyard to the abbey. The copper beech due to its size is also shrouding a paricularly old Yew tree.
The house itself sits in the conservation area and dates back some 500 years with the foundation stones from the Abbey