236 Yew- Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



It was probably, in 1780, less than two hundred 

 years old. 



Fraser, 1 about 1860, thus describes this tree : 

 ' In the centre of the still beautiful cloister, an aged 

 yew-tree lifts its massive trunk of 10 feet in girth, 

 13 feet high, throws its fantastic arms across the 

 broken parapets, and by its sombre shade adds to 

 the prevailing gloominess of the scene.' 



The engraving, taken recently, shows the trunk 

 to be one of the finest now existing. 



Northiam, Hawkhurst, Kent. The old tree in 

 the churchyard is mentioned in Horsfield's Sussex 

 (1835): 'A yew-tree of many centuries, standing 

 still, by its perpetual verdure remains an emblem 

 of the resurrection.' 'It is said that this tree, 

 when seemingly dead, will revive from the root, 

 and its dry leaves resume their wonted verdure.' 

 Like all old trees, it has suffered from storms. It 

 lost 10 or 12 feet of its top in this way twenty- 

 five years ago. Mr. Seeley, who has kindly 

 measured the tree for me (Jan. 1895), sa Y s tnat 

 it is perfectly hollow, and split in several places, 

 and that a fresh trunk appears to have arisen from 

 the ground. 



Norbury Park. The ' Druids' Grove ' contains 

 a great many fine trees, measuring from 12 to 1 8 

 feet up to 22 feet in girth. They are generally 

 much branched from the base, and have a strong 



1 London, iv. 2080. 



