Wilton - yew copse

Nearest town: Wilton

Site type: woodland

Access: Private

Church name: No Data

Diocese: No Data

County: Wiltshire

Country: England

Grid ref: withheld

Lost yew site: No

Date visited: 15-Jul-10

Recorded by: Peter Norton and Tony Caceres

Protection & responsibility: No data

Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 4m-5m, Notable

Notes: A private, three acre copse approximately one and three quarter miles north of Wilton. About 80 yew grow along a SW slope. Girths are up to 16'. This is not a 'Wild Wood', but no planting date is known. However the OS map of 1889 clearly shows the copse and an earlier 1773 map shows a conical tree symbol at this site. It is thought that this was a shelter belt for sheep that grazed the chalk downlands. The area within the copse is heavily coated with small flints. Given the fact that minimal pruning has been carried out, there is no obvious deer damage and saplings are found here this group has the chance to become a wild wood in time. All the yews recorded here have their girths recorded at the narrowest point, usually just above the roots.