Stottesdon

Paul Wood: Yew B is male and grows on the corner of the medieval burgage plot at NGR SO67468284. As it is so close to the modern roadside, it faces the annual meeting with a mechanical hedge trimmer. It also appears to have had periodic major branch removal. Having said that the tree appears quite healthy. The bole sits partly on higher ground and partly down the bank roadside. The west side of the yew on top of the bank has a low canopy but was easy to get inside. Here it was possible to inspect the bole, which is horseshoe shaped with some of the white wooded original tree still visible. Some former shell still protrudes from the ground and it was easy to ascertain that what we see today is about half of what once stood here. All recent growth on this yew has been at the roadside on the east side of the tree. Given its meetings with the mechanical hedge trimmer I am astonished it still grows. Girth today is estimated at about 13’/14′ but this tree has surely been up to 20′ girthed in the past.