Iconic tree pre-dating the Romans is saved from collapse
December 6, 2022
A campaign to raise funds for the construction of a special brace to prevent one of Britain’s oldest trees from collapsing has ended in success.
The 3,000-year-old yew tree in the Hampshire village of Farringdon is one the country’s ten oldest trees and is of special national and international scientific interest. Despite its worn appearance the yew tree continues to show healthy signs of growth, which is why it has been so essential to save the tree.
A campaign set up by All Saints Farringdon Parochial Church Council in late 2019 has now raised over £13,000. This structure will ensure that the tree continues to grow and remain stable for many generations to come.
As custodians of the churchyard, the PCC decided to take action to save the tree for the village and the nation by setting up an appeal to raise the necessary funds”, said Bryan Orchard, All Saints PCC Member. “Without the generosity and support of many individuals and organisations, the wear on the tree over the next decade would have resulted in its probable loss.”
The funding has come from many people and organisations including Farringdon residents, friends of the village, The Woodland Trust, East Hampshire District Council, the Syder Foundation, South Downs National Park Trust, the Parochial Church Council, Farringdon Parish Council and visitors to the church.
Eleanor Marsden, of the Syder Foundation, said: “The Syder Foundation was delighted to support the efforts of the South Downs National Park to secure the future of the Farringdon yew: a unique witness to the regional landscape.”
Dean Orgill, Chair of the South Downs National Park Trust, added: “Yew trees are synonymous with the South Downs. We must do everything we can to conserve and enhance this wonderful landscape for future generations to be able to enjoy as much as we do.”
The Farringdon yew is considered by arboriculturists to be one of the 10 most important trees in the UK and is recorded in the Ancient Tree Inventory as a tree of National Special Interest.
Picture: Solent News Agency