Totteridge

March 2001 – Tim Hills: From a platform within the yew can be seen a young rising central branch, along with six growth areas, many where new branches grow alongside remnants of the dead branches they replace. This main growth emerges from the ground inside the tree through the layer of humus that makes up the platform. This perhaps goes some way to explaining why measurements recorded from as long ago as 1677 show little difference today. This yew would seem to have been growing from the inside for a considerable period of time. Girth of 25′ 10” (787cm) at 3′.
August 2017 – Andy McGeeney: Girth recorded as follows: 8.05m (26′ 5”) at 90cm and 7.75m at the ground. Tree looking generally healthy. Some sign of leaves drying out after a dry summer but not many. A lot of relatively recent twiggy growth from about 1m up masks the bole but also protects it from people getting too close except for one opening towards the road side.
On sale in the church is a seven page booklet called: A History and Guide, The Parish Church of St Andrew, Totteridge. The same information can be found at www.totteridgechurch.org.uk . The ancient yew is mentioned in the history section. The tree is given as evidence for the antiquity of the site. It mentions that in 1999 the tree was accepted onto the register of ‘The Great Trees of London’.
It also mentions a story that a foundling was discovered in 1722 beneath ‘The Great Yew’. He was brought up by the parish and apprenticed at the age of 9 or 10. An old print in the booklet shows a severely pollarded yew.
October 2008 Steve Waters: Girth of 797cm (26′ 2”) at 0.95m recorded. Hollow trunk and decaying wood in the crown noted.