42 THE MUSIC OF WILD FLOWERS 



symbolism came to be associated with yew-trees, it 

 became customary to plant them in churchyards 

 generally. 



In support of this contention, it is noteworthy that, 

 in the case of several of our Hampshire churches which 

 date back to Anglo-Saxon times, a venerable yew-tree, 

 at least coeval with the church, stands beside it ; while, 

 in more than one instance, the yew seems to be older 

 than the church, and doubtless the church owes its 

 position to the yew-tree and not the yew-tree to the 

 church. Thus, on the northern slope of Portsdown Hill, 

 not far from the Nelson Monument, stands the little 

 Saxon church of Boarhunt. It is mentioned in Domes- 

 day Book, and part of the present structure the walls, 

 the chancel arch, and one of the windows dates back 

 to the days of Edward the Confessor. Near the south 

 doorway stands a yew-tree of hoary antiquity. The 

 trunk is hollow and is capable of holding a goodly 

 number of persons. It must have been a fine tree 

 when the church was built, nearly nine hundred years 

 ago. The tiny church of Corhampton presents another 

 instance in point. The church is remarkable, not only 

 for its undoubted pre-Conquest features, but also for 

 possessing a Saxon sundial on the south wall of the 

 nave. Within a few yards of the sundial stands the 

 ancient yew-tree, the trunk of which measures over 

 22 feet in circumference, and which was probably a 

 flourishing tree, held in reverence by the Jutish tribes- 

 men who occupied the Meon Valley when good Bishop 

 Wilfred preached to them the Gospel. Another pre- 

 Norman church is to be seen at Breamore, on the con- 

 fines of the New Forest, and here, too, a yew-tree of 

 most venerable antiquity stands in the churchyard. 



