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