174 REMINISCENCES OF OLD ALLESTREE. 
or six years of age. This is curious, and shows what an amount 
of vitality there is still in the tree. Looking at this splendid and 
picturesque yew recently, we were much struck by its extreme 
beauty of form when viewed from the church porch, and we are 
glad to see that its value is appreciated, for it is treated with much 
attention and loving care to preserve it. from damage, either from 
the winds or the rude hands of the thoughtless. There is also 
avery fine wych elm in the park, not far from the gates; we 
happen to know who planted it, and its age is now about one 
hundred years. Being so near the road, it has unfortunately had 
to have some of its branches lopped, in a measure destroying its 
symmetry, but it is a fine tree nevertheless. There are also a 
number of fine beech trees in a field above the Hall, on the 
road to Quarndon. 
one could generally point to the Parish Church, until within the 
last thirty years, when a craze for what is called ‘‘restoration” set 
in; since then, in many instances, restoration has succeeded in 
removing every ancient thing, so that hardly a stone of these old 
fabrics remains untouched. We are not left quite in this state at 
Allestree ; much of the old fabric remains, but we wish in these 
remarks to place on record its appearance, as far as we can do so, 
by means of sketches made before any alteration took place, for they 
may have interest in the future. We have here a view of the Church 
‘ 
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