Shugborough

The yew has the reputation of being the ‘Widest Tree in Europe’. It has become such a tangle that it now appears almost impossible to reach the main stem. The remarkable female yew appears to want to grow sideways rather than upwards!
In 1898 John Lowe described it as one of the most remarkable Yew trees in England, giving its dimensions as: girth 10′ 2” at 3′, height 42′, diameter 87′ and circumference 261′. At that time its age was estimated as between 250 and 300 years, though more recently a 1700 planting date has been suggested.
When Baxter recorded it for his 1992 book The Eternal Yew, he noted a girth of 12′ 3”, a height of 71′ and a circumference of 560′. In his book is a copy of a 1925 ticket, priced 3d which included entrance to the tree. Printed on the ticket is evidence that the vast spread of this tree has resulted from the ‘manner in which the branches have taken root and for the rapid growth of the young shoots after rooting’.