Nearest town: Ludlow
Site type: churchyard
Access: Public
Church name: St Mary Magdelene
Diocese: Hereford
County: Herefordshire
Country: England
Grid ref: SO44177002
Lost yew site: No
Date visited: 3-Jun-00
Recorded by: Tim Hills
Protection & responsibility: Parochial Church Council
Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 5m-7m, Notable
Notes: This has been described as 'a simple church with a Norman foundation'. It is aligned ENE/WSW. Four yews grow right up against the building, two at the east and two at the west end. They were noted as a feature in many of the Gazetteers of the 19th century, and in 1866 the Woolhope Club visited and recorded measurements of the trees, noting the largest to be more than 20ft and the smallest to be 15ft. Since these are greater than measurements in 2000, we must assume that the trees were measured at the height of 5ft, which was the norm at that time. There is a tradition that the church bell was once hung in the branches of one of the trees. In 1988 the Conservation Foundation ran a 'Yew Tree Campaign' in the Country Living magazine. The largest of the yews here was measured as 23' 11'' (729cm) at both 3' and 4'. Based on this measurement Meredith estimated an age of 1400 years and a certificate was sent to the church.
Site files:
Tree ID | Location | Photo | Yews recorded | Girth |
---|---|---|---|---|
75 | Leinthall Starkes | Ancient 5m-7m | 607cm at 60cm - view more info | |
72 | Leinthall Starkes | Ancient 5m-7m | 587cm at the ground - view more info | |
73 | Leinthall Starkes | Ancient 5m-7m | 500cm at 45cm - view more info | |
74 | Leinthall Starkes | Notable | 376cm at the ground - view more info |